Verrado honors late teammate during playoff
By Griffin Fabits
It was just like Bryan McKinsey would
have wanted.
Verrado High School junior lefty Rocky
King delivered the ﬁrst pitch of the Vipers’
5A state semiﬁnal game versus Notre
Dame Prep on May 10 with a side-arm
fastball.
Senior outﬁelder Hayden Brown
followed suit, digging into the batter’s
box in the home half of the ﬁrst inning by
tracing a No. 6 with his ﬁnger into the dirt
behind him.
Brown ripped a lead-off triple just a few
pitches later, racing into third as he locked
eyes with his teammates.
With teary eyes and heavy hearts,
they looked back, cheering while
simultaneously holding up three ﬁngers on
both hands to form a No. 6.
These were some of the many tributes
for their teammate McKinsey, who
unexpectedly died the morning of May 9,
before Verrado’s semiﬁnal game.
The 17-year-old’s signature sidearm
delivery and his No. 6 jersey were
remembered May 10, just a little more
than 24 hours after his death.
And now the Verrado Vipers will forge
on to unchartered territory – the ﬁrst
baseball team to make the title game in

Verrado High School junior Bryan McKinsey pitches during his last game. (Photo courtesy Trisha Madrid)

school history – without their friend,
teammate and star pitcher.
But in this time of grieving, the Vipers
yearn to play baseball.
Anxious for a two-and-a-half-hour
therapeutic escape from reality, the Vipers
will play for their friend for the ﬁnal time
together in 2018.
“There’s a certain sadness that we all
have going in. But on Tuesday (May 15),

we’re all really excited to get out there
and get our minds away from the whole
thing and do our best to honor our buddy,”
senior Kyle Wellman said.
Wellman was scheduled to start in the
championship game versus the Liberty
Lions on May 15. His ﬁrst pitch was set
to be thrown side-arm, like King did in

PITCHER...continued on page 2

WV progress discussed at economic development summit
By Connor Dziawura
A hint about a major development in
Avondale was one of the many highlights
of WESTMARC’s 2018 Economic
Development Summit on May 8 at the
Renaissance Phoenix Glendale Hotel and
Spa.
“I was hoping to announce the largest
master-planned community to be
announced since the opening of Eastmark
in Mesa 10 years ago,” said Karrin Taylor
Robson, Arizona Strategies founder and
president.

“But the Avondale City Council hearing
was continued last night, so more to
come on that. The city of Avondale will
hopefully have a major announcement to
make in the next three weeks.”
Elected ofﬁcials from Avondale,
Buckeye and Goodyear were among the
many West Valley guests at the event,
which featured speakers with ties to the
West Valley. Panelists discussed their
respective organizations’ impacts on the
region’s well-being as well.

The approaching Avondale news was
just one takeaway from Robson’s speech,
which focused on what she described as
some key ingredients to building strong
communities: infrastructure, education,
health care, quality of life and civic
engagement.
Robson also detailed how transportation
improvements have led to a handful
of other widely reported West Valley

WESTMARC...continued on page 8

2

NEWS

PITCHER...continued from page 1
the semi-ﬁnal game. Results were not
available at press time.
The Vipers also planned to wear blue
wristbands in honor of McKinsey’s
favorite color, Wellman said.
How the Vipers managed to get
through May 10, a 13-3 win versus
Notre Dame a day after receiving the
tragic news, was stunning.
It was something the team voted on
the afternoon of May 9: to keep playing
for McKinsey.
“We all wanted to play for him that
game and we all got the job done and
did it for him. There were so many
emotions it’s so hard to explain,” senior
Chad Berger said.
After the game, the Vipers gathered
just outside of their dugout and looked
toward the crowd, holding McKinsey’s
Verrado jersey as it waved in the wind.
Their unwavering display of resiliency
earned them a chance to bring a ring
home for McKinsey, whose larger-thanlife presence will be greatly missed on
and off the ﬁeld.
“I think the fact that they face so
much adversity and stress and stuff
going through their minds, the fact that

they’ve been able to stick together and
become closer through all the obstacles
thrown at them, shows you a lot about
Verrado, the character of these boys,
the character of the program, and most
importantly about the character we lost
in Bryan McKinsey,” head coach Mike
Ward said.
On May 15, the Vipers were planned
to hang his jersey in their dugout at
Tempe Diablo Stadium. His No. 6 will
be stitched on to their uniforms, as it
likely will be moving forward. That
trademark smirk he so often ﬂashed
will not just serve as a testament to his
personality, but a reason for why the
Vipers are playing for their teammate
despite still mourning and attempting to
comprehend the loss.
It was just like Bryan McKinsey
would have wanted.

A school mourns

Verrado High School Principal
Kristen Tiffany sent a letter to parents
on May 10 expressing her and her staff’s
sadness about Bryan McKinsey’s death.
The letter stated counselors and
Verrado’s school psychologist were
available for students who needed extra
support.

WEST VALLEY VIEW NEWS | MAY 16, 2018

Verrado High School junior Bryan McKinsey celebrates a victory during his last game with
the Vipers. (Photo courtesy Trisha Madrid)

She also shared a statement from
McKinsey’s family: “The McKinsey
family is heartbroken at the sudden
passing of their son, Bryan. He was
dearly loved by family, friends and his
fellow teammates. The family asks that
in lieu of ﬂowers and gifts, donations
be made in his name to the Verrado
High School baseball program.”
Agua Fria High School District
executive editor of educational

services, Thomas Huffman, said he
could not comment on the cause of
death.
“We do not know a cause of death
at this time, and we will not know
anything further until the medical
examiner’s report is completed,” he
said.
—Christina Fuoco-Karasinski contributed to this story

POLICE BRIEFS
Compiled by Connor Dziawura
Army recruiter arrested for
sexual conduct with a minor

Say Something,
Do Something.

of underage
drinking and
teen drug use.
wowcoalition.org

A 25-year-old army recruiter
assigned to West Valley high
schools was arrested after a school
administrator notiﬁed a Buckeye
Police Department school resource
ofﬁcer of a sexual offense.
The suspect, Joseph CooperBreceda, also known as Breceda
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BRIEFS...continued on page 4
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Cooper, is alleged to have been
involved in sexual conduct with a
minor.
The administrator notiﬁed the
school resource ofﬁcer on May 9
that a female student had disclosed a
sexual offense.
After detectives were briefed and
an investigation was conducted,
Cooper was arrested.

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Home delivery of the West Valley View is complimentary
and offered to residents in the southwest region of the
Valley of the Sun, saturating parts of Avondale, Buckeye,
Goodyear, Litchfield Park, Tolleson & Waddell. The West
Valley View can also be found free-of-charge at nearly 600
local business in the area.

SUBSCRIPTIONS

Requested mail subscriptions within Maricopa County: $75
annually or $40 for six months. Out of Maricopa County: $88
annually or $45 for six months.
(c) 2018 Strickbine Publishing Inc. All rights reserved.
West Valley View is distributed by AZ Integrated
Media, a circulation service company owned
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The Arizona Educational Foundation (AEF)
announced the names of 41 Arizona public schools
receiving the coveted A+ School of Excellence
award for the 2017-2018 academic year.
AEF has identified and honored exemplary prekindergarten through 12th grade public schools in
Arizona since 1983.
Among the local schools and their principals are:
• Estrella Mountain Elementary School, Liberty Elementary School District, Sharon Marine
• Tartesso Elementary School, Saddle Mountain
Unified School District, Liz Burton
• Verrado Elementary School, Litchfield Elementary School District, Luke Jankee
• Verrado Middle School, Litchfield Elementary
School District, Karen Williams
“The A+ School of Excellence program celebrates
outstanding schools throughout Arizona, calling
attention to the positive stories and successes
occurring in public schools,” AEF Executive
Director Bobbie O’Boyle said.
“The application and evaluation process for
this program is comprehensive and rigorous. We
applaud these schools for exceeding expectations to
meet their students’ needs and for achieving overall
success despite the many challenges that face the
education community statewide.”
Applicant schools are evaluated in the areas of
student focus and support, school culture, active
teaching and learning, curriculum, leadership,
community and parent involvement and assessment
data.
Applications are made available to prekindergarten through 12th grade public schools
statewide. Evaluation of schools is based on a
lengthy written application submitted by the school
and a rigorous site visit conducted by a team of
trained judges. In the application, each school
provides demographic information, a description of
current programs and practices, documentation of
parent and community involvement, and a profile of
the school’s principal and the school community’s
commitment to excellence, equity, service and
sustained high achievement. Preparation of each
school’s application involves collaboration among
all stakeholders including students, faculty, staff,
administrators and community members.
Schools receive $500 and a banner designating
them as an A+ School of Excellence winner. All
staff and their family members at the award-winning
schools are eligible for partial scholarships from
Argosy University Phoenix. The award is valid for
three and a half years. Recognition through the A+
School of Excellence program can help increase
confidence in Arizona’s public schools and create
greater parent and community support.

By West Valley View staff
Buckeye residents are invited to
one of three community meetings to
review the city’s proposed Fiscal Year
18/19 budget. Three meeting times and
locations are scheduled throughout
the city to accommodate a variety
of schedules. The city manager and
finance director will present identical
information at each meeting. Residents
will also have an opportunity to ask
questions following the presentation.
The meetings will be from 5 to 7 p.m.
Monday, May 21, Festival Fire Station
No. 704, Community Room, 27360 W.
Wagner Complex Drive; 10 to 11 a.m.
Tuesday, May 29, Buckeye Community
Center, 201 E. Centre Avenue; and 6
to 7 p.m. Thursday, May 31, Coyote
Branch Library Program Room, 21699
W. Yuma Road, Suite 116.
In addition, the Buckeye City
Council will review and discuss the FY
18/19 budget at one of the following

workshops or regular meetings.
The meetings are 3:30 to 5:30 p.m.
Thursday, May 24, council workshop;
3:30 to 5:30 p.m. Tuesday, June 5,
council workshop (tentative schedule);
6 p.m. Tuesday, June 5, adopt tentative
budget; and 6 p.m. Tuesday, June 19,
council meeting, adopt final budget.
All council meetings are at Buckeye
City Hall, 530 E. Monroe Avenue.
To learn more about the city’s
finances,
visit
buckeyeaz.gov/
government/financial-services.

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The West Valley View is a controlled-circulation weekly. It
is published every Wednesday, and distributed free-ofcharge to homes and in high-traffic locations throughout
Avondale, Goodyear, Litchfield Park, Buckeye and Tolleson.

The ruling of a 3-month-old child’s
death as a homicide led to the arrest
and subsequent booking of a man on
charges of second degree murder and
child abuse on May 8.
The suspect, John Centano,
was arrested by Buckeye Police
Department detectives.
The allegations date back to
June 13, 2017, when the Buckeye
Police Department received a call
from Phoenix Children’s Hospital
about Centano’s child being found
unresponsive in his Buckeye home.
The child was pronounced deceased
after he was transported to Phoenix
Children’s Hospital.
According
to
Centano,
he
brought his son to the Abrazo
Buckeye emergency room upon
finding him unresponsive on the
bed. An investigation and medical
examination, however, indicated
that the child’s death was caused by
complications from head trauma.
Centano was booked into Maricopa
County Jail.

Public Safety Foundation for the
funding of the new tactical robot,”
Sgt. Thomas Alt said.

The Avondale Police Department
recently acquired an Avatar III
tactical robot, thanks to a $26,290 Buckeye Fire responds to
grant from Firehouse Subs Public ‘serious’ 2-vehicle accident
Buckeye Fire Units responded to
Safety Foundation.
a car accident at N. 195th Avenue
Capable of climbing
and W. Van Buren Street in Buckeye
stairs, the Avatar III also
around 1:50 p.m. May 5.
includes a two-way
Upon
responding,
officials
communications
discovered
a
serious
accident
system that allows
involving two vehicles. One vehicle
officers to safely
was said to have T-boned the other,
talk with someone
according to a media alert.
inside a building
After the call
during a high risk
was balanced and
situation.
one vehicle was
It’s
also
extricated,
one of the
equipped with a
two
patients
was sent
camera system,
to
a
local
trauma
allowing
the The Avondale Police Department
operator to view acquired an Avatar III tactical robot. center by ambulance
with “multi-systems
an area that may (West Valley View photo file photo)
trauma.” At the time
otherwise
be
of the alert, the status of the second
unsafe for an officer.
The Avondale Police SWAT team patient had not been released.
will start deploying the tactical
robot in certain situations to provide Hiker rescued at Skyline
Regional Park
officers a safe distance.
A 38-year-old
woman
was
“The Avondale Police Department
transported
to
a
local
hospital
with
would like to thank Firehouse Subs

WEST VALLEY VIEW NEWS | MAY 16, 2018

non-life threatening injuries after
the Buckeye Fire Department’s
Technical Rescue Team was called
to Skyline Regional Park for a
mountain rescue assignment shortly
after 8 a.m. May 5.
Avondale Fire-Rescue and Phoenix
Fire crews assisted Buckeye’s fire
department.
The woman, an out-of-state visitor
unprepared for the heat and terrain,
complained of dizziness and said she
needed assistance to continue down
Turnbuckle Trail.
Technical Rescue Team crews
provided
ALS
treatment
for
dehydration and used the “big wheel”
to remove her around a half-mile to
the staging area.
“This is another example of hikers
not being prepared to hike the Valley
trails,” Buckeye Fire Chief Tommy
Taylor said in the May 5 media
alert. “This past week we sent out
hiking tips on our Facebook page to
encourage hikers to prepare. They
include bringing and drinking plenty
of water, hiking in the cooler hours,
know your limitations, wear sun
screen and light clothing.”

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6

NEWS

WEST VALLEY VIEW NEWS | MAY 16, 2018

Avondale Citizen Leadership Academy completes course
By West Valley View staff
Avondale Mayor Kenn Weise
recently recognized the graduates
of the 12th annual Avondale Citizen
Leadership Academy.
Eighteen participants took part
in a 10-week course that offered a
comprehensive,
behind-the-scenes
perspective of their city government,
with interactive and informative
workshops on topics ranging from
the city budget to building strong
neighborhoods.
During the course, participants
took part in a “quality of life” tour of
city parks and facilities, got a closeup view of fire apparatus, toured
the Wolf Water Treatment Plant and
learned about the budgeting process,
open meeting law, and more. Through
a “mock” jury trial and creative games
they developed a better understanding
of local government and asked
questions of city staff.
“Avondale’s Citizens Leadership
Academy is designed to encourage
citizen engagement by providing
participants an in-depth look at how

The Citizenship Leadership Academy graduates learned about the inner workings of the city of Avondale. (Photo courtesy city of Avondale)

the city works,” Weise said. “We want
to encourage our residents to take on
leadership roles in the community and
provide them the tools they need to be
effective, whether it’s serving on the

Polequaptewa, Pete Rides, Denise
Stanfield, Neosha Stanfield, Travis
Stanfield, Linda Warren and Maureen
Wilson.
The next class is scheduled for
spring 2019. For more information
about the Avondale Citizen Leadership
Academy, visit avondaleaz.gov or call
the community relations department
at 623-333-1600.

Florian T. Walter
D.O

Raj S. Rathee
M.D.

Jordan Oland
M.D.

B.J. Ho
D.O.

Sarah Colwell

Goodyear ofﬁcials hosting
traveling conversations

D.O.

By West Valley View staff

CNM

Goodyear residents are invited to join
Mayor Georgia Lord and members of the
City Council from
7:30 to 9:30 a.m.
Friday, May 18, at
Angel’s Diner.
C o u n c i l
Conversations
is a traveling
community forum
where residents
can
casually
mingle with the
City
Council.
Held quarterly at various locations
throughout the city of Goodyear, it
provides an opportunity for everyone

working, living or operating a business
in the city to share information, build
community
relationships,
and
strengthen
connections
to
the leaders that
make decisions
on city programs,
services
and
policies.
Angel’s Diner
is located at
13530 W. Van
Buren Street. For more information,
visit goodyearaz.gov or call 623-8827776.

NEWS

WEST VALLEY VIEW NEWS | MAY 16, 2018

Goodyear urges residents to check bank statements

7

By West Valley View staff
Customers who paid the city of
Goodyear using a credit or debit card
are urged to check their statements for
fraudulent activity and immediately
contact the card issuer with any
concerns.
The reason behind the caution: a
cyberattack that targeted the software
that underpins the city’s payment
processing system. City officials
became aware of the situation early
on Monday, May 7, and immediately
activated an internal crisis team to
manage its response.
“Cybersecurity is challenging in
today’s internet connected world and
the city remains committed to taking all
precautions to ensure the security of our
customers’ information,” City Manager
Julie Arendall said. “We understand
the distress this breach has caused our
customers, and sincerely apologize for
the frustration and inconvenience our
customers are experiencing.”
The city’s payment processing
vendor has conducted a forensic
investigation and has confirmed the

system was breached despite the normal
cybersecurity precautions. Neither the
city nor the vendor knew of the breach
until Goodyear residents brought the
matter to the city’s attention.
The vendor’s investigation has
shown the breach “skimmed” credit
card information beginning in June 13,
2017. Anyone who has used a debit or
credit card with the city of Goodyear
since June 13, 2017, is advised to work
with their financial institutions and/or
credit card issuer to determine the most
appropriate course of action.
Now that the details of the breach are
known, the investigators are diligently
working to identify exactly which
customers’ credit card information
could have been compromised. Once
that information is in hand, the city will
notify those customers.
According to the external vendor, no
personally identifiable information was
accessed. Law enforcement agencies
were notified on May 7 and are
investigating the breach.
That morning, a resident told city

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staff the payment system might have
been compromised. The city turned off
the payment system the same day and
posted notifications on its website and
social media. Updates will continue
through those channels. Every Goodyear
resident will be notified via postal mail
or emails.
Customers are encouraged to visit
goodyearaz.gov for updates. Updated
information will also be shared with
those who follow the city on Facebook,
Twitter, and NextDoor.
The credit/debit card payment system

will remain unavailable until a new
server is installed and the system is
tested to ensure it is safe. Until then,
utility customers may pay their city
of Goodyear bills via the automated
telephone system at 623-882-7373.
Customers may also use a bank-issued
check, continue using the SurePay
system, or pay in person at City Hall,
190 N. Litchfield Road.
To pay fees for other city services
including permitting and business
licenses, contact those departments for
alternate payment options.

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*Additional charge for installation, alignment, and
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ventures: Aldi, King Koil, IAC,
Chewy Inc. and Ball Corp.
“For the West Valley, the more
recent completion of the 101 and the
Loop 303 has many new employers
moving into the area,” Robson said.
“You know, it’s interesting, you can
have plans on a map for a road, but
until that road is built, people just
don’t leave. But as soon as those
freeways were built, the West Valley
is now a magnet for many of these
opportunities.”
In Goodyear, she discussed how
German grocer Aldi’s regional
headquarters is expected to create
more than 130 jobs with a capital
expense of $60 million; IAC will
relocate from Southern California;
Chewy Inc. is expected to create
700 jobs with a capital investment
of $30 million; and Ball Corp. will
add 130 employees and generate a
$245 million investment in the West
Valley. Moving to Avondale, Robson
discussed how the city beat out Las
Vegas for mattress manufacturer King
Koil, which will create 80 jobs through
its new manufacturing facility.
Your Smile is My Satisfaction

“Each of these recent locates in
the West Valley, proximate to your
freeways, have indicated that the
regional transportation infrastructure
was a primary reason why they moved
here,” Robson said.
“So again, infrastructure matters.
And it takes decades to bring
infrastructure to fruition. I think
the East Valley has had a lot of
employment, a lot of companies
moving here over the last couple
decades. This is your decade.”
Shortly after Robson, a panel gave
guests the opportunity to hear from
Leadership West Executive Director
and Buckeye Councilwoman Michelle
Hess; Ball Corp. Human Resources
Manager Chris McClanahan; Director
of Community Relations and Professor
of Practice at ASU’s College of Public

This is patient, Andre Lapointe. He has been visiting us from
Quebec Canada for the past 13 years to receive Dental work.

Michelle Hess represents Leadership West
and the city of Buckeye during the panel.

Service and Community Solutions
Dale Larsen; Maricopa County Parks
and Recreation Director RJ Cardin;
Gila River Arena General Manager
and AEG Vice President of Event
Development Dale Adams; Pipeline
AZ Director Katherine Pappas; and
Surprise Deputy Chief Benny Piña.
Moderated by Surprise marketing
and communications director Diane
Arthur, panelists discussed their
respective organizations and entities,
as well as potential ways to enhance
quality of life, job growth and economic
development in the West Valley.
Copper State Rubber Vice President
Chuck Wood was the keynote speaker.
His company notably made a venture
to Avondale last year, and much of his
discussion focused on the choice. The
new facility, which was built to house
more than 100 employees per shift,
is at less than half of its capacity, he
said.
“One of the reasons we chose this
site is we like the surrounding area,”

Wood said. “It was quite clean, close
proximity to restaurants and other
services around there, grocery stores
and stuff like that. It was someplace
that we’d want to spend many hours,
because we do work a lot of hours and
that is really our second family.”
But it was WESTMARC President
and CEO Sintra Hoffman’s opening
remarks that encapsulated the purpose
of gathering the West Valley officials
and businesspeople under one roof.
“We have a strong and talented
workforce. Our community is getting
younger as we mature as a region.
In other words, we’re very well
positioned for economic growth,”
Hoffman said.
“Little bit of data behind that
growth: Over the next 25 years, 43
percent of the growth in Maricopa
County will occur in the West Valley.
That number is astounding, and that
tells us that we all have a tremendous
job, an opportunity ahead of us, and
that’s why we’re all here today.”

Abrazo dedicates biplane
interventional radiology suite
By West Valley View staff
Community leaders joined hospital
staff for a ribbon cutting celebrating
completion of a biplane imaging
interventional radiology suite at the
Abrazo West Campus.
The biplane system produces highly
detailed 3-D views of blood vessels as
well as cross-sectional soft tissue imaging
that provide guidance for interventional
therapies and procedures such as
revascularization of vessels, ablations,
embolization
and
interventional
neurology.
Interventional radiology is used for
minimally invasive treatment of a wide
range of conditions in the body by
inserting various small tools, such as
catheters or wires, from outside the body.

“The images produced by the
biplane system can be used to aid
physicians in treating aneurysm, artery
blockages, brain and neck tumors and
other conditions,” said Stan Holm,
Abrazo West Campus CEO.
“We continue to invest in our campus
to provide services for residents of the
West Valley and beyond.”
West Valley dignitaries attending
the dedication included Avondale
City Councilman Lorenzo Sierra,
Goodyear Mayor Georgia Lord
and Southwest Valley Chamber of
Commerce President and CEO John
Safin.
“This is another huge step for
Abrazo West Campus,” Safin said.

Avondale observes Memorial Day
By West Valley View staff
Avondale city offices and facilities
will be closed in observance of
Memorial Day on May 28. The
public is invited to attend a special
remembrance event at City Hall that
evening.
Transit services for the ZOOM
Circulator Bus will not run on this
date. Regular route operations will
resume on Tuesday, May 29.
The Public Works Department will
follow the holiday trash and recycling
pick up schedule. There will be no
trash collection on Monday, May 28.
Trash and recycling pick up will be
one day later from the regular pick

up schedule. Residents who normally
have Friday pick up will have a
Saturday service instead. Containers
must be placed at curbside no later
than 5 a.m. on the day of collection.
Avondale’s Memorial Day event
is at 6:30 p.m. Monday, May 28, at
the Avondale Civic Center, 11465 W.
Civic Center Drive, in the outdoor
amphitheater. The public is invited
to honor those who have served. The
event will include music, special
tributes and a candlelight vigil.
For more information, call city
of Avondale, 623-333-1000 or visit
avondaleaz.gov.

Abrazo West Campus is holding a free
stroke screening from 7:30 to 10:30 a.m.
Tuesday, May 29, for the community to
learn more about stroke warning signs
and prevention. Abrazo West Campus
is located at 13677 W. McDowell Road,
Goodyear.
Services include blood pressure and

heart rate checks, body mass index,
family history/risk factor assessments, the
availability of stroke education/materials,
and the opportunity to speak with licensed
health professionals (bring a medications
list and any recent lab work).
To register, call 844-361-7452 or visit
abrazohealth.com/strokeevent.

10

NEWS

WEST VALLEY VIEW NEWS | MAY 16, 2018

Locals hold on to memories as Tolleson
Boys & Girls Club closes
By Carrie Snider
A place that holds 30 years of
memories of fun, learning and friendship
is closing. At the end of the month, The
Woodrow C. Scoutten/Tolleson Branch
of the Boys & Girls Clubs of Metro
Phoenix will be no more.
The building is owned by the city of
Tolleson, which recently announced
plans to remodel the building into an
all-ages recreation center with hopes to
open in time for summer activities.
Current and past members of the
Tolleson Boys & Girls Club are sad to
see the change, but hope the city will
carry on the opportunities and sense of
community provided there for so many
years.
Bridget McDonald, COO of Boys &
Girls Clubs of Metro Phoenix explained
its primary goal has always been to
impact the kids in a positive way.
“We know they come for the fun,

200 kids, two-thirds ages 5-12 and the
rest teens.
The Boys & Girls Clubs is an afterschool drop-in and summer program
center focused on helping kids from
kindergarten through 12th grade with
homework, mentorship and activities to
help expand their horizons. Activities
over the years have included playing pool,
doing arts and crafts, and participating in
sports, dances, and just about anything
else the kids are interesting in doing,
including academics and leadership.
“We start talking to them very young,
asking them what they want to do
someday. Some will go to college, and
others won’t, but we want to mentor them
and let them know we care,” McDonald
said.
Alumni Olivia Tellez remembers
walking to the Tolleson Boys & Girls
Club with her cousins when they were in
school.
“My favorite part was the art room,
and my cousins were in sports,” she said.
Looking through old photos at the
club with her cousin, Melissa Tellez, the
two remembered just how much of their
youth was spent there.
“We did bake sales, so we could go
on outings in Sedona, Prescott and
California,” Melissa said.
Another cousin received a college
scholarship through the Boys & Girls
Clubs and is now a teacher.
The branch has impacted multiple

Samuel, 10, and Tony Trevino, 6, of Tolleson
play Connect Four.

generations here. Charlotte Brunson
is the director of programs and staff
development and has seen her work
impact not just kids, but entire families.
“It’s been a privilege to be a part
of that,” she said. “We hope they will
continue to be part of this as things
change here.”
Those who have been going to the
Tolleson branch are welcome to go to the
other 12 locations in the Valley, including
the Tri-City West Thornwood Branch in
Avondale and the Stewart Branch at 67th
Avenue and Clarendon.
Jesus Castillo, activity leader at the
Tolleson branch, knows the sense of
community will live on.
“I started going to the Avondale branch
when I was 6, and then when I was old
enough I applied for a job with the Boys
& Girls Clubs. But it’s not like a job, it’s
more like being a role model.”
Though he’s disappointed the
Tolleson branch is closing, he’s happy
to rejoin the Avondale branch once
more.

11

WEST VALLEY VIEW NEWS | MAY 16, 2018

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Copper sulfate
crystals
Editor:
Hello, my name is Cole Lozon and I
am from the Trivium FFA chapter. One
thing that FFA encourages is to educate
the public about issues involving
agriculture, which is why I’m writing
this letter.
Recently, I have done research on the
best way to manage algae growth in
watering tanks, which lead me to look
at types of algaecides (aka pesticides)
that ranchers use. A very common type
of algaecide that is used in Arizona has
a copper sulfate base or copper sulfate
crystals. Along with that compound are
other chemicals such as triethanolamine
and aminoethanol.
While doing initial research on these
chemicals they do not seem that bad;
however, upon further investigation
these chemicals are harmful to the
environment, harmful to livestock,
and deadly to humans. The chemical
aminoethanol has been linked to
cancer by The International Agency
for Research on Cancer (IARC), and
has been banned in several states, and
the triethanolamine has been linked
to “adverse effects on reproductive
function or fetal development” (Safety
Data Sheets). The same chemical is also
said to cause liver failure in animals
after being exposed to it for long
periods of time. This type of algaecide
also includes copper carbonate, which
is listed as a toxic pollutant under the
U.S. Clean Water Act Section 307. On
the label of these copper sulfate-based
products, it says “Environmentally
Hazardous
Material”
(applied
biochemists). Not to mention the overall
lack of research done on this chemical.
To register a pesticide you need to do
trials on animals and how the chemicals
react with them; however, for this type
of algaecide, there is no data on how it
reacts with animals.
However, all of that isn’t the reason
why I’m writing this letter. The reason
why is because Arizona does not have
strict regulations on pesticides and
pesticide labels. Nowhere on the label
does it say it will harm the livestock
in any way. Nowhere on the label
does it say it contains a toxic pollutant

that’s under the U.S. Clean Water Act.
Nowhere does it say that one of its
chemicals has been linked to cancer.
I seek change in the ways of which we
label our pesticides. The label should
not just include the effects on humans;
it should include the effects on all living
things. The label should be required to
disclose if it contains any chemicals that
are listed under the EPA as harmful or
toxic. Arizona should also have more
regulations on types of pesticides used
so that we do not end up using one that
can devastate the ecosystem. It is my
goal to make this change happen, and
now that you have heard about this issue
I implore you to do your own research
on it so that you advocate for this. Thank
you.
Cole Lozon
Litchfield Park

A message to
motorists
Editor:
Please obey Arizona Law in regards
to cyclists on the roadways. Cyclists
have the same legal right to use the road
as motorists. In several circumstances,
cyclists can use the entire travel lane
(A.R.S. 28-815). The law also requires
that motorists slow down and pass
cyclists carefully and give at least 3 feet
of clearance when you pass a cyclist
(A.R.S. 28-735). Share the road.
Sean Chappell
Avondale

A Democratic Party
manifesto
Editor:
At the 2008 Democratic National
Convention, L. David Alinsky proudly
commented that his father’s influence
could be felt. His father, Saul Alinsky,
wrote the book Rules for Radicals in
1971. In it, Mr. Alinsky, a community
organizer, laid out the tactics for an
eventual socialist takeover of America.
Like Lenin and Marx before him,
Alinsky liked to divide people into
groups – rich and poor, black and white,
upper class and lower class – in order
to pit one group against another. He
felt the end justified the means and one

must “agitate to the point of conflict.”
To be successful it was important to
“rub raw the sores of discontent.” For
Alinsky, extortion, intimidation and
demonization were acceptable if your
objective was achieved. Deception
about ultimate goals was hidden, which
explains why Alinsky admired the
greatest deceiver of all time – Lucifer.
Although Alinsky passed away in
1972, his tactics and thoughts influenced
many of today’s Democratic leaders.
While at Wellesley College in the late
1960s, Hillary Clinton was so impressed
with Mr. Alinsky’s ideas that she invited
him to Wellesley to speak and then
wrote her senior thesis on Alinsky
tactics. Former President Obama was an
Alinsky-trained community organizer
and later “professor” at the Chicago
University Law School where he taught
Alinsky Power Analysis.
Senator Bernie Sanders, an avowed
Socialist who almost won the 2016
Democratic nomination, volunteered
at the Coalition of Racial Equality
(CORE), which Alinsky helped found.
Incorporating many of the power tactics
of Saul Alinsky, Sanders has been
able to organize many followers for
his political campaigns. However, Mr.
Sanders is not your friendly, retiring
socialist. He has been a frequent speaker
at the Democratic Socialists of America
meetings, a group that has close ties to the
Communist Party USA. His promises of
free college education, free healthcare
and government jobs for everyone
reflect some of the fundamental flaws

of socialism: benefits without effort,
entitlements without responsibility, and
promises without merit. By promising
such freebies, the socialists hope to
control the people – their ultimate goal.
President
Trump’s
greatest
accomplishment was to thwart this
continued slide towards socialism and
challenge the entrenched status quo of
liberalism. He did it by appealing to
hard-working, patriotic Americans who
believed in liberty, freedom and the free
market capitalistic system that has done
more to elevate the lives of people than
any other system known to mankind,
according to Nobel Memorial Prize
in Economic Sciences winner Milton
Friedman.
Igor Shpudejko
Goodyear

The future of
Buckeye
Editor:
What does Marilyn A. Vollmer get
out of defending Buckeye having a
Goodwill built overlooking Sundance’s
Golf Course and Lake?
Love the Goodwill, but it was like a
bad joke placing it in that location.
Of course the residents were consulted
about it, but this is always what city
planners do to make themselves look
fair; in reality, I believe the foundation
was being poured as the public opinions

Letters...continued on page 13

WEST VALLEY VIEW NEWS | MAY 16, 2018

Letters...continued from page 12
against it were coming in.
Also planned in Sundance’s view are
a car wash, storage facility, extended
stay motel, some tacky bulk store and,
of course, my personal favorite: another
fast food joint.
We stayed in an extended stay motel
while waiting for our house to be built.
Liquor and wine bottles placed outside
of doors.
This place will keep our police
department busy.
So many beautiful homes in Verrado;
its quite the show place. It’s hard to
understand why the large market chain
and nearby restaurants decided not to
build. I do know Verrado won’t get some
bulk store moving in. They are lucky
there.
Bill Gates’ future development is too
far away to do Buckeye any good.
It is part of Buckeye City Council’s
job, along with the mayor and the city
planner, to recruit nice businesses for
Buckeye.
I would rather see bare land than what
we will have to look at.
Vicki J. Chelini
Buckeye

Thank you,
Goodyear and
Avondale PD
Editor:
I participated in the MomsTRI,
Saturday, May 5. It was a wonderful
event. One of the reasons it was so
wonderful was the excellent work of
the Goodyear and Avondale police
departments. They were at every
intersection directing traffic and shouting
encouragement. They kept the routes
safe and helped keep our spirits up when
we were tired. Thank you so much to
those wonderful officers. I so appreciate
you and can’t thank you enough.
Jeanette Voss
Goodyear

Cult of noise
Editor:
With each passing generation that our
society lives with the escalating noise
created by unregulated mufflers and high
intensity/low frequency subwoofer (HI/
LF) noise, the population becomes more
indoctrinated to accepting this bombardment of noise as normal. We have reached

OPINION
the point now that nobody questions why
some cars and trucks are really loud and
some are barely audible. Nobody in the
media is reporting on the detrimental effects of this escalating noise on our health
and wellbeing. The police do nothing because they are just as much a part of the
overall malaise of acceptance.
It has been documented by the World
Health Organization (WHO) and others
that the HI/LF subwoofer bass noise that
we are all bombarded with daily at every
traffic light, and in our homes and places
of work, causes physical damage at the
cellular level; can damage human organs;
induces hearing loss; impedes learning
and cognitive development processes, especially in children; causes hypertension;
contributes to aggressive behavior; causes
stress and sleep loss; and leads to depression.
The industries that have been pressuring and lobbying Congress and our
politicians, that cut funding for the EPA
noise control office, have also been very
successful in marketing to the public their
arguments for tolerance and nonexistent
rights. There is no legal precedent that
the brazen noise these morally bankrupt
zombies of commercial exploitation are
broadcasting is a legal right. All legal

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How to get a letter
published
250 N. Litchfield Road, Ste. 130,
Goodyear, AZ 85340
E-mail:
editor@westvalleyview.com
The West Valley View welcomes letters that
express readers’opinion on current topics. Letters
must include the writer’s full name, address
(including city) and telephone number. The West
Valley View will print the writer’s name and city
of residence only. Letters without the requisite
identifying information will not be published.
Letters are published in the order received, and
they are subject to editing. The West Valley View
will not publish consumer complaints, form
letters, clippings from other publications or poetry.
Letters’ authors, not the View, are responsible for
the “facts” presented in letters.

precedent is on the side of peace and quiet
as the legally enforceable norm.
Our society is a cesspool of nefarious ideologies created by marketing for
the sole purpose of creating wealth for a
small group that can insulate themselves
from the mayhem their products create
within their gated communities and rural
mansions. Our police and elected officials
need to be held accountable. Learn more
@AZnoiseban.
William Pitt
Buckeye

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14

OPINION

WEST VALLEY VIEW NEWS | MAY 16, 2018

Arizona has one of the best
websites to track spending
By Diane E. Brown & Tom Jenney

MEMORIAL DAY
CEREMONY
MONDAY 6:30 PM

MAY

28

AVONDALE CITY HALL

11465 W. Civic Center Dr.

Honor those who served with a ceremonial
candlelight vigil that includes music, honorary
tributes and special guests.

As taxpayers in Arizona, our hardearned money contributes to a wide
range of items: Employee salaries.
Health care. Education. Public safety.
Office supplies. The list goes on and
on.
While reasonable people may
disagree on how our taxpayer dollars
should be spent, we should all be able
to agree that public accountability can
help to ensure that state funds are spent
wisely.
And fortunately, according to the
new report “Following the Money
2018” by the Arizona PIRG Education
Fund and Frontier Group, Arizona has
one of the best government spending
websites in the country – openbooks.
az.gov.
Why is having a top-notch spending
transparency website important?
Senate Majority Leader Kimberly
Yee, a distinguished champion of
transparency in the Arizona state
legislature, recently stated, “When
citizens, organizations, appointed and
elected officials have easily accessible
information on how our hard-earned
taxpayer money is spent, we have a
greater ability to identify and eliminate
waste and duplication in government
services.”
Indeed. State-operated transparency
websites provide checkbook-level
detail on government spending,
allowing citizens and watchdog groups
to view: payments made to individual
companies, details on purchased goods
or services, and benefits obtained in
exchange for public subsidies.
Through utilization of government
spending
transparency
websites,
citizens and government officials can
monitor state spending to save taxpayer
money, reduce potential abuse of
public dollars and prevent corruption.
States with strong transparency
websites often realize significant
financial returns on their investment
including more efficient government
administration, more competitive
bidding for public projects and less staff
time spent on information requests.
And in an increasingly digital world,
online-accessible financial information
is also a good way to enable citizens

to participate in decisions about how
resources are spent.
What’s
next
for
spending
transparency?
Although government spending
websites across the country have come
a long way in the past decade, the sites
with which the average citizen interacts
have also undergone significant
transformation.
States can help ensure their websites
continue to evolve and are usable
by including features such as a fully
functional search bar and hosting an
in-site viewing portal for citizens to
interact with data without having to
download a file, itemizing spending
into manageable and understandable
categories, as well as standardizing
department and expenditure category
descriptions to eliminate inconsistent
abbreviations or misspellings that may
complicate finding information.
Increasingly, Arizona is stepping up
and meeting citizens’ expectations for
accessible spending data through the
state’s budget transparency portal.
Arizona’s budget transparency
website excels in “real-world” userfriendliness and functionality and
deserves accolades for a financial
highlights webpage that includes
graphs intended to clearly illustrate
government spending.
Arizona is “near the top” of
government
spending
websites.
However, Arizona can be “at the top” by
providing comprehensive information
for all economic development subsidies,
not just the Arizona Competes Fund, on
its budget website.
And it can ensure governmental and
quasi-governmental entities – even
those that are entirely financially
self-supporting – integrate their
expenditures into the online checkbook.
–Diane E. Brown is the executive
director of the Arizona PIRG Education
Fund and can be reached at dbrown@
arizonapirg.org. Tom Jenney is senior
legislative adviser with the Arizona
chapter of Americans for Prosperity and
can be reached at tjenney@afphq.org.
David Leibowitz's column will return

BUSINESS

Business Briefcase

WEST VALLEY VIEW NEWS | MAY 16, 2018

15

By Connor Dziawura

Good day, readers! Welcome back
and thanks for checking in with me for
another great week of Business Briefcase.
There are plenty of news items to go
around this week, with more updates
regarding the new Planet Fitness in
Goodyear. Additionally, a self-storage
facility in Buckeye was included in a
large sale recently.
But it wouldn’t be Business Briefcase
without me briefing you on the
happenings of the Southwest Valley
Chamber of Commerce, which has
upcoming plans with Luke Air Force
Base and more. Here’s the news!
First, Storage America DBA StoreAll America RV and Self Storage
recently sold a 107,130-square-foot netrentable facility to a buyer in California
for $10.755 million.
The facility, Store-All America RV
and Self Storage, is located on 9.11 acres
at 24901 W. Yuma Road in Buckeye.
It features 638 drive-up units and 240
outdoor RV parking spaces. A U-Haul
moving truck business was also included
in the sale.
Both the buyer and seller were
represented by NAI Horizon Senior Vice
President Denise Nunez.
“For the right deals, the market
continues to deliver high prices. The
owners capitalized on the low inventory,
high demand environment for selfstorage properties, to sell below current
market cap rates for a $100.39 per square
foot price,” Nunez said.
“The buyer is an established selfstorage owner and operator out of
California who completed the sale with a
1031 Exchange. This sale represents the

Store-All America RV and Self Storage in Buckeye was recently sold to a buyer in California for $10.755 million. (Photo courtesy NAI Horizon)

first for the buyer in the Arizona market.”
Moving along, last week I reported
on a development at 99th and Campbell
avenues in west Phoenix.
Well, it seems a new school is on the
way – more specifically a new Legacy
Traditional Schools campus.
The new West Valley campus – located
at 4545 N. 99th Avenue – is currently
enrolling students for fall 2018.
Qualified teachers are also being
sought.
For more information, visit phoenix.
legacytraditional.org.
Also, let’s give a quick shout-out
to Lunch N Learn, which has three

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different topics approaching. I already
discussed the Monday, May 21, meeting,
which has a focus on how to write a press
release, in the May 9 West Valley View.
That one is at noon.
However, there are two others I have
not yet detailed. At 11:30 a.m. Tuesday,
May 29, LifeTyme Financial Group
will host Personal Economic Model.
Be sure to RSVP, and lunch will be
provided.
Then, at 11:45 a.m. on Thursday, May
31, Yanick Hicks of the John Maxwell
Team will host Get in the Zone and
Stay There. Be sure to RSVP, and lunch
will be provided.

All three Lunch N Learn meetings will
be held at the Southwest Valley Chamber
of Commerce, which is located at 289
N. Litchfield Road, Goodyear. For more
information, contact 623-932-2260 or
info@southwestvalleychamber.org.
Now, let’s get back to Planet Fitness,
which I have discussed several times
over the past couple months. The new
Goodyear location celebrated its launch
by donating $5,000 to the Tri-City
West Thornwood Branch of the Boys
& Girls Clubs of Metro Phoenix.
The 18,000-square-foot, open-24/7

BRIEFCASE...continued on page 16

16

BUSINESS

WEST VALLEY VIEW NEWS | MAY 16, 2018

The Wigwam celebrates 100 years of its first building
By Carrie Snider
One hundred years ago, a visit to the
West Valley wasn’t exactly tempting
for Goodyear Tire executives. But they
needed to come here to oversee growth
of an important crop – cotton. Goodyear
Tires owned an impressive 16,000 acres
of the crop, which was being grown to
reinforce car and truck tires being used
in the war effort.
That’s why The Organization House
was built. In 1918, it began with just a
sitting room, kitchen, bedrooms, and
terrace to house Goodyear Tire & Rubber
Company executives visiting the cotton
farm, but it soon became much more. As
people stayed there to do business, they
found an oasis in the desert. They started
to bring their families with them.
A part of The Wigwam, The
Organization House is celebrating its
100th anniversary this year with a series
of events, including a special two-night
stay package. (See accompanying story.)
For more info visit wigwamarizona.
com.
The fireplace, hardwood floors, and
windows patterned with tire treads,

along with décor indicative of Arizona
made for a memorable trip to the
Southwest. The winter weather became
a welcome treat for those visiting from
colder climates. Paul Litchfield was
president of Goodyear Tires then, and
the town was named after him in 1926. A
portrait of Litchfield, painted and gifted
by his daughter, now hangs at the resort.
Over the years word of mouth caused
more quests to flock, and as a result The
Organization House grew from housing
six people to 24; in addition the grounds
changed to provide fun activities for
those staying. On Thanksgiving Day
in 1929, it opened to the public as The
Wigwam where people could enjoy a
true Arizona experience.
Early on, golf was a big part of why
people loved coming to The Wigwam.
The first course was developed in 1930
and V.O. “Red” Allen was the first fulltime golf pro. Then in 1965, Robert
Trent Jones Sr. developed the second
golf course as well as renovated the first.
In 1975, a third course was completed
by Robert “Red” Lawrence.

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The Wigwam’s many employees have been working there many years; a few have even
passed the 30-year mark. (Photo courtesy The Wigwam)

In 1979, two impressive presidential
suites were built, named Oraibi and
Bacabi after the oldest Native American
village in Arizona.
One hundred years later, The Wigwam
is a gem in Litchfield Park. It is 440
acres of golf courses, three swimming
pools, restaurants, nine tennis courts,
spa, fitness center, indoor and outdoor

meeting areas, lush landscaping, outdoor
wedding area, firepits, and 331 guest
rooms (casita style). Throughout the
resort much pays homage to its historic
roots.
All around the resort, old photos
showcase the resort’s beginnings and
growth over the years.
“The pictures never get old,” said

BRIEFCASE...continued from page 15

bagels on the first Monday of every
month and the second Tuesday of
every month, respectively, and while
supplies last.
Planet Fitness Goodyear is at 515
S. Cotton Lane. For more information
on the new location, call 623-9002005 or visit planetfitness.com/gyms/
goodyear-az.
Finally, let’s round this week out
with Business & Breakfast. I haven’t
checked in on the recurring event in a
while, but this time, the 2018 Update
on Luke Air Force Base is the focus.
Networking and breakfast begin at
7:30 a.m. Thursday, May 24, and the
program is set from 8 to 9 a.m.
Maj. Barbara Divine, Luke’s
contracting squadron commander, and
Mary Peetz, small business specialist,
will be featured speakers.
Pre-registration is required at a
cost of $20 for members and guests,
and $30 for nonmembers. For more
information, contact 623-932-2260 or
info@southwestvalleychamber.org.
That’s all the briefs for this week!
Thanks for reading!
Have an item for Business Briefcase?
Email Connor Dziawura at cdziawura@
timespublications.com.

West Valley location opened April
16 and held a ribbon-cutting ceremony
with the Southwest Valley Chamber of
Commerce on May 4.
Planet Fitness promotes a national
philanthropic initiative called The
Judgment Free Generation, of which
this West Valley donation is a part.
The initiative’s purpose is to spread
kindness and end bullying of the youth.
“We strive to create a space where
everyone feels accepted and respected,
which is why we’ve donated to the
Tri-City West Thornwood Branch
of the Boys & Girls Clubs of Metro
Phoenix’s anti-bullying efforts to
maintain our community’s positive
environment,” said Brandon Thomas,
regional director of United PF
Partners, a leading Planet Fitness
Franchisee Group that operates 87
locations across 10 states.
Additionally, the company brands
itself a “Judgment-Free Zone,” and
Goodyear amenities include cardio
machines, strength equipment, locker
rooms and tanning beds, among
others. On a tasty note, Planet Fitness
offers for members free pizza and free

WEST VALLEY VIEW NEWS | MAY 16, 2018

WIGWAM...continued from page 16
Sarah Boyd, social media and marketing
manager at The Wigwam. “You can tell
people came to celebrate the important
things in their lives.”
Boyd grew up in the area and loves
showing people the grounds. “I could
talk about this place all day.”
Just being in the fireplace room of the
historic Organization House brings a
connection to time and place, according
to Jenna Sullivan, programming and
events manager at The Wigwam.
Today, the main building at The
Wigwam
includes
the
original
Organization House as well as newer
add-ons to the building that keep
with the historic feeling of the space.
Walking the front doors, guests pass a
room dedicated to celebrating the five
C’s of Arizona industry: cotton, citrus,
copper, cattle and climate. Next is the
guest check-in desk, and beyond that is
a common space that features historic
artifacts from the Heard Museum and a
painting of The Wigwam by local artist
Michelle Shook. Guests then enjoy the
fireplace room of The Organization
House, with its original fireplace and
floors.

In recent years, great effort has been
made to expose more of the historic parts
of the building. And while the space
itself is special, it’s not the only thing
that keeps guests coming back; they also
come back because of the people at The
Wigwam.
The Wigwam’s general manager
Martin Greenwood explained that in
general the hospitality industry has a
high turnover rate. But at The Wigwam,
many employees have been working
there many years; a few have even
passed the 30-year mark.
“That adds a lot. It helps our guests
feel connected,” he explained.
Recently, The Wigwam welcomed its
first “four-legged” employee, its adopted
dog Archie.
Guests from around the world come
to The Wigwam, but something it has
always offered is a connection to the
community. It’s a place where people in
Litchfield Park can all come to enjoy the
grounds and celebrate together. Every
year The Wigwam puts on celebrations
for Easter, Fourth of July, Oktoberfest,
and more.
“It’s a social hub,” Greenwood said.
“This is a community meeting place that
crosses generations.”

BUSINESS

17

Wigwam upcoming events
The Wigwam regularly hosts events
throughout the year. Here are some of
them. The resort is located at 300 E.
Wigwam Boulevard, Litchfield Park.
For more information, 623-935-3811 or
wigwamarizona.com.
Live Music
Thursdays at Litchfield’s, 6 to 9 p.m.
Fridays at Litchfield’s, 6 to 9 p.m. and
Wigwam Bar 7 to 10 p.m.
Saturdays at Litchfield’s, 6 to 9 p.m. and
Wigwam Bar 7 to 10 p.m.
Memorial Day Weekend
Friday – Poolside DJ, water relay,
waterslide races, poolside obstacle source,
poolside movie
Saturday – Poolside DJ, water balloon toss,
waterslide races, poolside obstacle course,
water games, poolside movie
Sunday – Poolside DJ, Wildlife World Zoo,
water balloon games, duck races down the
waterslide, dive games, family game night
Character Breakfast
Saturdays May 26 to September 1, 8 to 10
a.m. at Red’s Bar & Grill
Call 623-935-3811 for reservations and
character appearances.

REGISTER
for FALL
maricopa.edu/register-emcc
The Maricopa County Community College District (MCCCD) is an EEO/AA institution and does not discriminate on
the basis of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, disability, or national origin in their
programs or activities. For Title IX/504 concerns, call the following number to reach the appointed coordinator:
(480) 731-8499. For additional information visit: http://www.maricopa.edu/non-discrimination.

18

SPORTS

WEST VALLEY VIEW NEWS | MAY 16, 2018

Millennium’s Diggs wins shotput state championship
By Griffin Fabits
Alaina Diggs is a basketball player
by trade, but a conversation with
Millennium High School’s track head
coach her freshman year may have
changed the direction of her athletic
career.
Now a junior at Millennium, Diggs
said she was stopped at one of her
basketball games by track coach
Muhammad Oliver.
“The track coach came and watched
me play basketball, and he was like, ‘I
think you’d do really well doing field
events.’”
Diggs gave it a shot – so to speak –
unsure of what kind of an athlete she
would be away from a basketball court
or softball field – two sports she grew
up playing.
After her first three seasons, it’s safe
to say her track and field experiment has
played to her advantage.
Diggs won the Division I shotput
state championship on May 5, setting
a personal record with a throw of 45.1
feet.
“I was ranked No. 2 going into the

Alaina Diggs moved from basketball to
shotput, and the decision has paid off.
(Photos courtesy Erik Johnson)

finals, so I was definitely focused on
coming out with a win.”
Diggs edged out Chandler High
School’s Samantha Ponds, as the two
had a bit of a rivalry brewing this year.
“Throughout the season, it was
definitely just us going back and forth.
She would win, I would win, so I
definitely knew what I was going in to.

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“I just knew I had to do better than
her.”
Diggs got the last laugh in the state
tournament, which has parlayed into
expressed interest from college scouts.
“I talked to a couple schools and with
winning (the state championship), I
think that draws a lot of attention. My
mark is like the top-30 in the nation,
and I think that will also get me a lot of
attention.”
Diggs is unsure if she’ll pursue track
and field or basketball in college, but
continuing her athletic career is the goal.
Her rise to a state championship
comes at the heels of her brother, Aidan,
winning the Division I decathlon state
championship on April 28.
Alaina Diggs joins her older brothers
– AJ, Aaron, Andrew and Aidan – in

building their own illustrious careers at
Millennium.
She has her sights set on shattering
the state’s shotput record her senior
year – which she believes to be around
47.9 feet – “so it won’t be broken
again.”
But for the time being, as she heads
into an off-season crowned a state
champion, Alaina Diggs will work on
her smack talk after a sarcastic claim
that she’s officially earned the right
of the best athlete in the uber-athletic
Diggs’ house.
“I’ve always been the best athlete in
the house,” she joked. “Aidan thinks
he’s better. We’re in a little bit of a tie
because we’re both state champions,
but I think I’ve always been the itfactor in this family.”

SPORTS

WEST VALLEY VIEW NEWS | MAY 16, 2018

19

Former Tolleson teammates extend careers at St. Cloud State
By Griffin Fabits
DJ Wyman received a text message
from St. Cloud State University head
coach Pat Dolan in December 2017,
expressing his interest in the righthanded pitcher.
Roughly one minute later, Wyman
got a call from his best friend
and former Tolleson High School
teammate, Lenny Walker, who had the
same message.
The coincidence solidiﬁed their
decisions to continue their baseball
careers at the next level, as they
committed to St. Cloud State University
in St. Cloud, Minnesota, on May 5.
“I always wanted to get away from
home and experience a different place,
but I’ve always been a little nervous to
do it,” Wyman said.
“Having Lenny with me – someone
I’m comfortable with – that really
helped me make the decision and I’m
sure he felt the same with the situation.”
After playing together at Tolleson for
three seasons and graduating in 2016,
the two had to split up to continue their
baseball careers. Wyman played at
Gateway Community College for two
seasons, while Walker bounced from
South Mountain Community College
to Phoenix College.
As community and junior college
athletes are only eligible for two years,
both players began exploring options
to extend their careers.
St. Cloud State came calling after
Dolan toured Arizona colleges, eyeing
potential recruits.
“They came to my school to check
out some players – they saw some
ﬁelding, hitting, running. They said
they liked what they saw and wanted
to keep in touch with me because they
were interested,” Walker recalled.
Walker served as a left ﬁelder and
designated hitter in 2017 with South
Mountain, making the transition to
centerﬁeld at Phoenix College the
following year.
Over a four-year varsity career
with the Tolleson Wolverines, Walker
played in 100 games and hit .429 with
83 RBI and a .680 slugging percentage.
He earned two Silver Slugger Awards
and the Most Valuable Player honor his
senior year.
“I expect myself to be the hardest
worker on the team and to be the
starting center ﬁelder. I want to be an

DJ Wyman and Lenny Walker recently committed to play baseball at St. Cloud State University. (Photo courtesy Jolene Valdez)

impact player going into the school,
and that’s what I’m working on right
now.”
Wyman pitched out of the starting
rotation the last two years at Gateway.
With the Wolverines, he won the Cy
Young Award in the spring of 2016.
He graduated from Tolleson with an
8-6 record and 4.50 ERA, striking out
74 batters in 84 innings spanning three
varsity seasons.
“I’m really hoping to get the role of
a starting pitcher (at St. Cloud State).
I really like that responsibility I have
when I’m starting. I’m really hoping I
can go in there and prove my spot.”

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The former Tolleson duo will join a
St. Cloud State squad that holds a 2711 record, good for sixth best in the
Central Region in Division II.
The success the Huskies have
had this season in the Northern Sun
Intercollegiate Conference should
extend into the Division II College
World Series this summer in Cary,
North Carolina, which makes the
commitment that much sweeter.
They’ll leave for Minnesota in
August, with sights set on bringing
St. Cloud State its ﬁrst national
championship title.
“It makes us feel good going

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Help prepare preschoolers for
reading through music, books,
games and crafts from 10:15 to 11
a.m. at the Litchfield Park Branch
Library, 101 W. Wigwam Boulevard.
For information, call 602-652-3000.

décor between 9 a.m. and noon.
For more information, call 623935-3279.

Kids to Parks Day

Celebrate National Kids to Parks
Day from 8 to 10 a.m. with a water
balloon toss, relay races, kite flying and more at Goodyear Com-

United Way Storytime
(Ages 0-6)

The West Valley View publishes on Wednesday. The 9 Days
a Week calendar — a listing of entertainment events such as
concerts, theatrical performances, events for schools, churches, county parks and nonprofit groups — runs every issue.
Events must be open to the public to be considered and
generally must be held within the View’s coverage area,
which is south of Northern Avenue, west of Loop 101, plus
all of Tolleson, extending to Estrella in the south and Tonopah in the west. Events such as concerts and theatrical
performances that fall outside the View’s circulation area
will be considered because there are no concert halls or theater venues within our boundaries.
9 Days a Week calendar items print on a space-available
basis. The only way to guarantee that an item will print is to
purchase an advertisement.
Submissions must reach our office by 4 p.m. Wednesday
to be considered for the following Wednesday publication.
Submissions must be in writing and may be emailed to
Rachel Hagerman, rhagerman@timespublications.com or
faxed to 623-935-2103.

MAY

Wednesday

16

Come & Play with Me

Sam Garcia Western Avenue Library hosts a weekly open-play
group at 495 E. Western Avenue,
Avondale, at 11 a.m. for children
through age 5. For information,
call 623-333-2601.

Children’s Community
Choir

The Church at Litchfield Park
offers a free music program for
children in kindergarten through

Stop by the Verrado Grille at 4242
N. Golf Drive, Buckeye, to join fellow businessmen in a West Valley
networking group at 7 a.m. each
Wednesday. For information, call
623-640-6268.

Junior Book Club
(Ages 8-12)

Children are encouraged to read
a book each month before joining
Lila for a book discussion and ac-

The Christ Presbyterian Church at
925 N. Sarival Avenue, Goodyear,
hosts a weekly Al-Anon meeting
at 7 p.m. Al-Anon seeks to support the friends and families of
alcoholics. For information, call
623-882-0721.

Toddler Storytime

Bring children to the Tolleson
Public Library at 9555 W. Van Buren Street so they can hear picture

The Arts Academy at Estrella
Mountain will perform Hairspray
Jr. from 2 to 4 p.m., which will be
followed by a reception and art
show from 4 to 6 p.m. at 2504 S.
91st Avenue, Tolleson. Reservations
are required. For information, email
jbauer@plccharterschools.org.

21

Hope

Stop by Christ Evangelical Lutheran Church’s Classroom C at 918 S.
Litchfield Road, Goodyear, for the
Hope support group from 5:30 to
7:30 p.m. The goal of the group is
to provide help for those struggling
with any mental disorder by sharing
experiences and supporting others.
For information, call 480-994-4407.

Baby Time

The Tolleson Public Library at 9555
W. Van Buren Street invites babies
and their caregivers to an interac-

Goodwill Donation Drive
Fundraiser

Song-Ercise for Toddlers
& Preschoolers

Pick up a copy of Ender’s Shadow
by Orson Scott Card before joining a book discussion at 1 p.m. at

Verrado Visionaries

Al-Anon Stepping Stones

tivities from 3:30 to 4:15 p.m. at the
Tolleson Public Library, 9555 W.
Van Buren Street. For information,
call 623-936-2746.

Book Discussion Group

fifth grade. Grades three through
five will start at 5 p.m. and kindergarten through second grade will
begin at 5:30 p.m. at 300 N. Old
Litchfield Road. For information,
call 623-935-3411.

Children can sing, listen to stories
and craft at 1 p.m. at the Sam Garcia Western Avenue Library, 495 E.
Western Avenue, Avondale. The
first 25 children will receive a free
book to take home. For information, call 623-333-2601.

WEST VALLEY VIEW NEWS | MAY 16, 2018
Old Litchfield Road, Litchfield Park,
invites people desiring to deepen
their meditation practice or try
meditation for the first time to join
them from 3 to 4 p.m. Sundays. All
faiths are welcome. For information, call 623-935-3279.

books, read aloud and play with
other toddlers at 11 a.m. For information, call 623-936-2746.

Stop by St. Peter’s Episcopal
Church at 400 S. Old Litchfield
Road, Litchfield Park, for casual and formal apparel, jewelry,
books, household items and home

Avondale City
Council Meeting

Avondale City Council meets at
7 p.m. in the Avondale Council
Chambers, 11465 W. Civic Center
Drive. For information, call 623333-1000.

Tuesday

22

Bingo

tive play time at 1 p.m. For information, call 623-936-2746.

Chronic Disease
Self-Management
Workshop

Area Agency on Agency invites
those suffering from chronic diseases such as diabetes, arthritis
and COPD to a free workshop
from 9 to 11:30 a.m. at the Goodyear Branch Library, 14455 W. Van
Buren Street. For information, call
602-391-5781.

Not Hungry Tonight

Not Hungry Tonight is a program
that seeks to stop hunger and
food insecurity in communities
one person at a time. The group
meets from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at
the Christ Evangelical Lutheran
Church’s kitchen, 918 S. Litchfield
Road, Goodyear. For information,
call 623-932-2394.

The American Legion Post #61
hosts bingo each Tuesday night
starting at 6:45 p.m. These bingo
nights have 17 games including
Quickie, Early Bird, Double Action
and a $1,000 progressive game.

Drop off donations from 8 to 10
a.m. to support the Will Power
Troupe’s last trip to perform in
the Shakespeare Schools Festival
in London. Donate items at the
Odyssey Institute, 1495 N. Verrado
Way, Buckeye. For information, call
623-327-1757.
Preschoolers and school-age children can visit Goodyear Branch
Library with a parent to practice
reading with a registered therapy

work/knitting/crochet group at 11
a.m. and work on new or current
projects at Sam Garcia Avenue
Library, 495 E. Western Avenue,
Avondale. Be sure to bring materials and a coffee mug. For information, call 623-333-2601.

Come down to 35 N. Dysart Road,
Avondale, to support the area’s
youth and veterans. For information, call 623-932-4960.

Buckeye Business
Connection

dog. The Paws for Reading program
starts at 2 p.m. at 14455 W. Van
Buren Street. For information, call
602-652-3000.

Buckeye Chamber hosts the
Buckeye Business Connection
from 7:15 to 8:30 a.m. every Tuesday at the Chamber office at 508

Sunday

20

Sea Lions at Shipwreck
Cove

Babies & Books (Ages 0-2)

Come see an educational show
starring California Sea Lions and
skilled trainers at 11:30 a.m. in a
pirate-themed exhibit at Wildlife
World Zoo, 16501 W. Northern Avenue, Litchfield Park. This show is
free with admission. For information, call 623-935-9453.

The Avondale Civic Center Library
at 11350 W. Civic Center Drive invites parents to bring their babies
from 10:15 to 11 a.m. to promote
early development. Babies will
learn with books, music and playtime activities. For information,
call 623-333-2602.

Contemplative Prayer &
Meditation

Join fellow crafters in this needle-

St. Peter’s Episcopal Church at 400

Craft it Up

E. Monroe Avenue. This group
serves coffee and a light breakfast and networks with business
members in the community. Each
week, there will also be a different guest speaker. For information, call 623-386-2727.

Join fellow crafters in this needlework/knitting/crochet group from
1 to 2 p.m. and work on new or
current projects at Litchfield Park
Branch Library, 101 W. Wigwam Boulevard. Be sure to bring materials
and a coffee mug. For information,
call 602-652-3000.

Computer Class:
Craigslist

Learn the ins and outs of Craiglist
from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. at the Litchfield Park Branch Library, 101 W.
Wigwam Boulevard. For information, call 602-652-3457.

Teen Volunteer Tuesdays
(Ages 12-18)

Teens looking to serve their community and volunteer for school
from 11 a.m. to noon. For information, call 623-936-2746.

Estrella Toastmasters

Visit a Toastmasters Community
meeting to become a stronger
public speaker and leader from
6:30 to 7:45 a.m. at the Southwest
Valley Chamber of Commerce, 289
N. Litchfield Road, Goodyear. For
information, call 602-391-5781.

The Tolleson Public Library at 9555
W. Van Buren Street invites preschool-age children to read books,
sing songs and take part in activities
at 11 a.m. For information, call 623936-2746.

Agua Fria Toastmasters

Visit a Toastmasters Community
meeting to become a stronger public speaker and leader from 6:15 to
7:30 p.m. at the Goodyear Branch
Library, 14455 W. Van Buren Street.
For information, call 602-391-5781.

credit can meet at the Sam Garcia
Western Avenue Library’s Volunteer

Grandparents Play & Learn
(Ages 0-5)

The Bookmobile, a library on
wheels, will be at 201 E. Centre Avenue, Buckeye, from 11 a.m. to noon.

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Computer Classes
(Ages 18+)

Master mouse skills, Microsoft
Word, basic internet, email and
more at 11 a.m. at the Avondale

The Avondale Civic Center Library
at 11350 W. Civic Center Drive invites grandparents and their grandchildren to a free activity with
crafts, snacks, stories and music
from 10:15 to 11 a.m. For information,
call 623-333-2602.

Weight Watchers

Weight Watchers meets weekly
with those struggling with weight
or looking for some extra support.

Enjoy tea and coffee and meet fellow crafters and work on crochet,
knitting or sewing projects. Come
by the Goodyear Branch Library at
14455 W. Van Buren Street from 1:30
to 3 p.m. to join. For information,
call 602-652-3000.

Community Center
Bookmobile

The Arizona Science Center invites children ages three to eight
to design and launch rockets from
10 to 11 a.m. at Care1st Avondale
Resource Center, 328 W. Western

Thursday

Attend a free information session
from 5 to 6 p.m. to learn about
Medicare, Medicaid, Social Security and Long Term Care at the Litchfield Park Branch Library, 101 W.
Wigwam Boulevard. For information, call 602-652-3000.
The Avondale Civic Center Library
at 11350 W. Civic Center Drive invites adults to bring a coffee mug
and materials to join fellow crafters
for needlework, knitting and crocheting at 10:30 a.m. For information, call 623-333-2602.

Preschool STEM Class: 3-21 Blastoff

Visitors can get library cards and
check out and return books. For information, call 623-349-6300.

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John and Christina Randolph were
looking for something different.
Christina had been working in law
enforcement, but after having children
she didn’t feel all the negativity in
that line of work was jiving with their
family life. She wanted a new direction
for her career.
“When we started a family,
everything shifted,” she said. “We
wanted something more positive and
light-hearted.”
Baking was in her blood, and
certainly cupcakes topped the list. “I
tried every cupcake shop in the Valley
over the past few years,” she explained.
The husband and wife learned of
the Smallcakes franchise and went
back and forth about whether to start
their own cupcake shop. In the end,
the familiarity of the brand won them
over. They opened their shop earlier
this year at 5110 N. Dysart Road in
Litchfield Park.
Smallcakes was founded by Jeff
Martin, who became well known after
his appearances on Cupcake Wars and
The View. There are now more than 200
Smallcakes locations across the country.
Besides familiarity, the other thing
the Randolphs liked about Smallcakes
was freshness. All the cupcakes are
baked fresh and frosted every morning.
“If we don’t sell these today, they’ll
be donated,” John said.
Christina arrives at the shop around
6 a.m. to start baking all the flavors
offered that day. There are 12 daily
signature flavors, and they also rotate in
two specialty flavors so there is always
something new. Smallcakes has 249
cupcake flavors and counting, including
red velvet, peanut butter cup and
birthday cake. Many of the frostings are
buttercream, but there are a few other
types such as whipped cream or fudge.
Something else that differentiates
Smallcakes from other cupcake shops
is ice cream. They make fresh ice
cream as well. Classics like vanilla
and chocolate are always among the
favorites, but they also have peanut
butter, mint chocolate chip, and local
favorite banana pudding. Ice cream
flavors are also rotated so there are
new flavors to try.

One of John’s favorite things at
Smallcakes is called the Smashcup,
which is ice cream sandwiched between
two halves of a cupcake all in a cup.
He prefers peanut butter ice cream in
between a peanut butter cupcake.
Even though the shop has only
been open a few months, Smallcakes
in Litchfield Park has several regular
customers who come in multiple times
a week.
“It’s kind of like on Cheers. They
come in and we know their names,”
John said. But that was the hope all
along – to create a positive place within
their community.
“Cake is such a staple of American
celebration,” Christina added.
But a cupcake can also help on a
bad day, too. The company’s slogan
is, “Maybe a cupcake will help?” In
the case of the Randolphs, it was the
answer their family was looking for.
The shop opens at 10 a.m. with most
of its traffic after school from 2 to 6
p.m. Gluten-free friendly cupcakes are
available by calling a day in advance.
Other Smallcakes locations in Arizona
include Phoenix, Scottsdale, Surprise,
Cave Creek and Lake Havasu. For more
information, visit smallcakescupcakery.
com or call the Litchfield Park shop at
623-233-5729.

WEST VALLEY VIEW NEWS | MAY 16, 2018

Avondale mother representing
state in plus-size pageant

FEATURES

23

By Christina Fuoco-Karasinski
With three little girls and a job
as a surgical tech, Nakeba Patrick
doesn’t have many opportunities to
dress up.
Instead she finds herself in yoga
pants and scrubs. She wishes it was
otherwise.
“I’m a girly girl,” Patrick said
with a laugh.
She has her chance. The Avondale
resident will represent Arizona as
Mrs. Arizona Plus Queen Supreme
2018 in the Miss Plus America 2018
pageant on July 28 at the Westin Atlanta Airport Hotel in Atlanta.
“This is the most prestigious and
family-oriented pageant,” Patrick
said. “It’s full of beautiful people
with positive attitudes and uplifting
spirits. I’m beyond honored to be a
contestant this year.”
To attend, Patrick must raise

about $2,000 to fly herself, her
three daughters – 4-year-old Ella,
and 15-month-old twins Elena and
Eliza – and husband, John, to Atlanta, as she cannot leave the children
behind. The pageant’s entry fee is
$390, which is tax deductible.
“I have little ones,” Patrick said.
“I need to bring them with me. We
don’t have a lot of family out here.”
Patrick was born in Arizona while
her father was stationed at Luke Air
Force Base, but grew up in Detroit,
where her mother lived. She attended Wayne State University, but
graduated from Gateway Community College.
Patrick has always been interested in pageants because they seemed
fun and uplifting. Miss America

PAGEANT...continued on page 25

Nakeba Patrick is using her participation in the Miss Plus America pageant
to raise awareness of sickle cell. (Photo

Nakeba Patrick is seeking donations to fly her family to
Atlanta for the Miss Plus America pageant. (Photo courtesy

courtesy Nakeba Patrick)

Nakeba Patrick)

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Development Co., LLC, an Arizona limited liability company (“Developer”), but the homebuilders within Wickenburg Ranch are independently owned and operated (“Builders”). References to Builders by Developer shall not be construed
as an endorsement, warranty or certiﬁcation by Developer of Builders’ performance. Prior to signing any purchase contract, a purchaser should read and understand the Public Report issued by the Arizona Department of Real Estate to
the speciﬁc subdivision Builder. The Public Reports for the Builders for the subdivisions in Wickenburg Ranch are available on the Arizona Department of Real Estate website. No Federal agency has judged the merits or value, if any, of
this property. Notice to California residents, WARNING: the California Bureau of Real Estate has not inspected, examined, or qualiﬁed this oﬀering. Notice, this oﬀer is valid only in Arizona. This oﬀer void where prohibited by law.

24

FEATURES

WEST VALLEY VIEW NEWS | MAY 16, 2018

Hope’s Closet helps domestic violence
survivors heal
By Allison Neri

When
customers
at
Hope’s Closet in Goodyear purchase items, they
are helping better the lives
of domestic violence survivors.
The charitable thrift
store, which is part of the
New Life Center, is a “hidden gem,” according to Liz
Zelazo, community development director. An emerCloset is a charitable thrift store with a lot to
gency domestic violence Hope’s
offer. (West Valley View photos by Melissa Fossum)
shelter, New Life Center
opened in 1991, with the
Running a thrift store takes a lot of
store following shortly thereafter.
manpower, and it was recently bol“What’s better than knowing that stered by employees of Larry H. Miller
you are going to find great items at a Group, who spent a half day organizing
great price and your purchase is really the store. They also donated $10,000.
going to help save lives?” she said.
“It’s really important to our work
“Your purchase at Hope’s Closet en- when volunteers come down and
sures the families will have access to spend half a day with us or even a few
emergency shelter.”

Hope’s Closet is a “hidden gem”
to Community Development
Director Liz Zelazo.

hours and sort clothes, hang
clothes, sort the books, wipe
down the furniture and help
dust,” Zelazo said. “Making
sure that the place looks great
is really important to us.”
Hope’s Closet not only offers goods to the public, but
New Life Center residents
as well. While in shelter
with New Life Center, fam- Susan King works the register at Hope’s Closet, where
ilies can redeem vouchers at purchases help survivors of domestic violence.
Hope’s Closet.
“In our shelter, we are
to drop off their items. The customers
serving families who are fleeing do- here are so loyal.”
mestic violence and they are fleeing
Hope’s Closet and New Life Center
imminent danger,” Zelazo explained. make use of all donated items – even
“Often times they arrive on our door those that are damaged. They are given
with only the clothes on their back.”
to other organizations so they can reAfter families leave, they can con- purpose them.
tinue to use the voucher system at the
The store offers a wide variety of
thrift store.
items ranging from clothes to vanities
“When they are leaving New Life to couches. While so simple to most,
Center, they are rebuilding their lives picking out dishes is a big deal to the
and overcoming the trauma of domes- families residing at the shelter.
tic violence,” Zelazo said. “They can
“A part of the healing process for the
come down to Hope’s Closet and pick survivors we serve is for them to feel
out furniture and housewares for their empowered because not only have they
new apartments and we will deliver the endured physical or sexual abuse, but
furniture to them.”
in many instances, they have been conAll the proceeds from Hope’s Closet trolled and manipulated,” Zelazo said.
benefit New Life Center. The store is
“Their choices have been taken away
looking for volunteers.
from them. When they are allowed
“The support from the communi- to come down and pick out their own
ty is incredible,” she said. “There are items, it’s a big deal for them and a
people who come day in and day out part of the healing process.”

WEST VALLEY VIEW NEWS | MAY 16, 2018

PAGEANT...continued from page 23
Plus Pageant was the perfect choice for
her, she added.
“I did research to see if there was a
plus-size pageant,” Patrick said. “I
found Miss Plus America pageant.
When I signed up for the pageant, I was
six weeks pregnant with twins.
“Once I delivered them, I felt a little
low. I was on bed rest. I was stretched
out everywhere possible. This was my
own therapy. I could do this. I could
put on a dress and feel wonderful about
myself. I just lost that self-confidence
after having twins.”
The pageant has several sections, including private interview, elegant pant
wear and evening gown.
Patrick’s platform is sickle cell awareness. Her sister suffers from the disease.
“I carry the trait,” she said quietly.
“I passed it down to all three of my
girls. It really chokes me up. With the
trait, we have to be careful. I have to
give one of my daughters medicine for
pain. I have to hydrate her, massage
her little body.
“My sister is 24 and had two strokes.
She walks with a walker. She has arthritis. Her spleen is out. Outside she looks
like a normal 24-year-old, but she’s dying inside. It breaks them down from the
inside out.”
Her sister, who lives in Michigan,
must undergo monthly blood transfusions and occasional chemotherapy.
Patrick wants her to move to Arizona,
however, “finding a doctor is close to
impossible here.”
As for the pageant, she’s looking forward to the camaraderie between the
contestants.
“The ladies, I hear, are helpful and
positive,” Patrick said. “I’m so excited
and thrilled about the sisterhood. I have
to admit that’s what brought me to it. I
wanted to be around other women who
look like me.”
She has a strong team in place, including a manager, a Tolleson seamstress, a
make-up artist and a supportive husband.
“I am very anxious to show them (the
other contestants) that we have a very
awesome state,” Patrick said. “I’ve been
trying to make sure I’m following all
the guidelines. I want to wow them and
make sure we leave Arizona in their
minds.”
For more information, visit missplusamerica.com or gofundme.com/travel-expenses-for-nakeba-patrick.

FEATURES

25

PebbleCreek Railroad Club seeks members
By Christina Fuoco-Karasinski
Bruce Petrarca is passionate about
model railroading.
As the founding secretary of the PebbleCreek Model Railroad Club, Petrarca helps oversee the organization’s indoor HO scale layout and outdoor garden layout.
Club members meet at the layouts from
9 to 11:30 a.m. Tuesdays and Thursdays,
either working on the railroad, or conducting simulated operations. Visitors
are welcome. The PebbleCreek Model
Railroad Club hosts open houses at Easter, Thanksgiving and Christmas.
Petrarca fell in love with trains when
he received a squeeze toy for his first
Christmas. As a Boy Scout, he earned
his model railroading merit badge. It
wasn’t until he moved to PebbleCreek
in the late 1990s that he pursued model
railroading.
The club promotes model railroading—including scale modeling, simulated railroad operations and general
railroading discussion—and serves as a
community resource for railroad history, science and lore. The members’ pri-

G
Y
N
E
C
O
L
O
G
Y

mary goal is to have fun, but this isn’t
an easy hobby.
“There are so many disciplines involved,” Petrarca said. “Model railroading focuses on precision and accuracy
and history.”
Some members can even tell if a train
has the correct number of rivets. Control panels have been installed throughout the layout and scenery work is completed or in process. The entire model
train display system is representative of

various train stations in Chicago. A nod
to the early to mid-1960s when all train
stations ran through Chicago.
The PebbleCreek Model Railroad
Club is only open to PebbleCreek residents. Organizers are looking for additional members, whose numbers are
fewer in the summer.
“We need all disciplines and all interest levels,” he said. “We could do more
if we had more people.”
For more information, visit pcmrc.org.

Avondale Senior Center Cinco de Mayo
The Avondale Senior Center celebrated Cinco de Mayo one day early with
authentic Mexican food, music and dancing.
1. Seniors enjoyed dancing at the Cinco de Mayo celebration in Avondale. 2. Carmen
Hernandez, Maria Kunze and Lianna Ilunua enjoyed participating in the event at the senior
center. 3. Becky Galindo was just one individual who participated in the celebratory event
at the senior center. 4. Music was just one aspect of the event, with DJ Chaos spinning
a variety of hits for the seniors. 5. Joe Coanca and Shirley Midhassel participated in the
Avondale Senior Centerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Cinco de Mayo festivities. 6. Taking a break from the music and
dancing, seniors grabbed a bite to eat with a variety of Mexican foods. 7. Lupe Ferrer
danced with other seniors.

3

2

4

7
5

6

FEATURES

WEST VALLEY VIEW NEWS | MAY 16, 2018

The View’s Puzzle Page

27

SUDOKU TIME

Place a number in the empty boxes in such a way that each row
across, each column down and each small 9-box square contains all
of the numbers from one to nine.

ANSWERS ON PAGE 32

SCRAMBLERS

Unscramble the letters within each rectangle to form four ordinary
words. Then rearrange the boxed letters to form the mystery word,
which will complete the gag!

Your Neighbors, Your Funeral Home.
The Name YOU Can Trust
Like professionalism and commitment, Thompson Funeral Chapel has people
who sincerely care about the sensitive services we provide. We strive to be the
best in our profession. We believe it is one of the most important things we do.
We know our responsibility is to our community.

New Arthritis Painkiller Works on Contact
and Numbs the Pain in Minutes
New cream works faster and is more targeted than oral medications. Key ingredients penetrate the skin
within minutes to relieve joint arthritis pain. Users report signiﬁcant immediate relief.

By Robert Ward
Associated Health Press
BOSTON – Innovus Pharmaceuticals has
introduced a new arthritis pain relief
treatment that works in minutes.
Sold under the brand name Apeaz™,
the new pain relief cream numbs the
nerves right below the skin.
When applied to an arthritic joint, or
a painful area on the body, it delivers
immediate relief that lasts for hours and
hours.
The powerful painkilling effect is
created by the creams active ingredient,
a special medical compound.
Anesthetics are used in hospitals
during surgery. They block nerve signals
from the brain so that patients don’t feel
pain and they work fast.
The anesthetic found in Apeaz™
is the strongest available without a
prescription.
The cream form allows users to
directly target their area of pain. It works
where it is applied. The company says
this is why the product is so effective
and fast acting.
“Users can expect to feel relief
immediately after applying,” explains
Dr. Bassam Damaj, President of Innovus
Pharmaceuticals.
“There will a pleasant warming
sensation that is followed by a cool,
soothing one. This is how you know that
the active ingredients have reached the
infected joint and tissue.”

Works In Minutes

For arthritis suffers, Apeaz offers
impressive advantages over traditional
medications. The most obvious is how
quickly it relieves discomfort.
The cream contains the maximum
approved dose of a top anesthetic,
which penetrates the skin in a matter of
minutes to numb the area that’s in pain.
This relief lasts for several hours.

Additional ingredients in the cream
help suppress inammation around tissues and joints. Published pre-clinical
studies have shown that the ingredients
in Apeaz™ can also prevent further bone
and cartilage destruction.
There are also no negative side effects
from the oral medication. Apeaz™ delivers its ingredients through the skin. Oral
medications are absorbed in the digestive
tract. Overtime, the chemicals in pills can
tear the delicate lining of the stomach,
causing ulcers and bleeding.
When compared to other arthritis
medications, Apeaz™ is a fraction of the
cost. At less than $2 a day, the cream
quickly is becoming a household name.
Those with terrible arthritis in their
hands and ngers, love how easy Apeaz™
is to open. The jar ts in the palm of the
hand, which makes it much easier to use.

Instant Pain Relief Without
a Prescription

Many Apeaz™ users report signicant
improvements in daily aches and pain.
Many more report increased exibility
and less stiffness. They are moving pain
free for the rst time in years, like Henry
Esber, and early user of Apeaz™.
“I’ve tried more pills than I can
count. I’ve also had a handful of
cortisone shots. Nothing is as effective
as this product. With Apeaz™, I get
relief right away. I rub a little on my
knees and some through my hands. It
keeps the pain away. It also prevents
the pain from getting really bad. It’s
completely changed my life.”

How It Works

“Apeaz™ contains the highest,
non-prescription dose of a medical compound that ghts pain on contact. When
applied to the skin it goes to work within minutes by penetrating right to the
source of your pain, numbing the nerve
eendings.”
d gs.

Apeaz™: Quick Acting Pain and Arthritis Cream is Now Available Without a Prescription
“This is why Apeaz™ is so effective
for people with arthritis. It reduces pain
while adding an additional layer of joint
protection,” explains Damaj.

A New Way to Treat Pain

Although Dr. Damaj and his team say
that their cream is the fastest and most
effective way to relieve arthritis pain,
they believe there is still a reason to take
joint pills. The most effective are those
which help to further strengthen and
support the joints.
That’s why every container of Apeaz™
comes with ArthriVarx™, a breakthrough
pill that’s taking on joint support in an
entirely new way.
ArthriVarx™ works on your joints, making
it the perfect companion to Apeaz™.
“ArthriVarx™ contains special compounds published to lubricate the joints
and connective tissues that surrounds
them. With daily use, they improve joint
health and can give an extra cushion,”
explains Dr. Damaj.
“When combined with Apeaz™, it becomes the perfect system to tackle arthritis. While the anesthetic component
of Apeaz™ is working on the outside,
relieving pain on contact, ArthriVarx™ is
working on the inside, adding cushioning
to the joints”’

A Powerful Combination For
Arthritis and Joint Pain

With daily use, Apeaz™ plus
ArthriVarx™ helps users live a more vital,
pain free life without any of the negative
side effects or interactions associated
with oral drugs.

By delivering fast, long-lasting, and
targeted relief from joint pain and
reducing inammation and swelling
that causes joint damage, Apeaz™
and ArthriVarx™ is the newest, most
effective way to tackle your arthritis
pain.
You can now enjoy an entirely new
level of comfort that’s both safe and affordable. It is also extremely effective, especially if nothing else has worked well
for you.

How to Get Apeaz™
in Arizona

This is the ofcial public release of
Apeaz™. As such, the company is offering
a special discounted supply to any jointpain arthritis-sufferer who calls within
the next 48 hours.
A special hotline number and
discounted pricing has been created for
all Arizona residents. Discounts will
be available starting today at 6:00AM
and will automatically be applied to all
callers.
Your Toll-Free hotline number is
1-800-406-6550 and will only be open
for the next 48 hours. Only a limited
discounted supply of Apeaz™ is currently
available in your region.
Consumers who miss out on our
current product inventory will have
to wait until more becomes available
and that could take weeks. Experience
the guaranteed Apeaz™ relief already
enjoyed by thousands of consumers.
The company advises not to wait. Call
1-800-406-6550 today.

APEAZ IS AN FDA OTC COMPLIANT DRUG NDC # 57483-001-04 APPROVED FOR THE RELIEF OF PAIN FROM MUSCLES AND JOINTS INCLUDING ARTHRITIS PAIN. ARTHRIVARX STATEMENTS HAVE NOT BEEN
EVALUATED BY THE FDA. ARTHRIVARX IS NOT INTENDED TO DIAGNOSE, TREAT, CURE, OR PREVENT ANY DISEASE AND IS NOT A DRUG. RESULTS MAY VARY.
302745_10_x_10.8.indd 1

5/8/18 12:47 PM

YOUTH

WEST VALLEY VIEW NEWS | MAY 16, 2018

Trivium Prep student
trading Shakespeare
for pro wrestling

29

By Christina Fuoco-Karasinski
Trivium Preparatory Academy
senior Noah Garcia remembers the
days when he was shy and introverted.
As the calendar pages turned, so
did his outlook and his enthusiasm
for the arts. Now, he finds comfort on
the stage.
Recently, Garcia placed as a
semifinalist at the 35th annual
National Shakespeare Competition,
competing against 55 U.S. students
at the Mitzi Newhouse Theater in
Lincoln Center in New York. It
was the culmination of a year-long
competition hosted by the EnglishSpeaking Union.
As part of the competition, students
perform a monologue and recite a
sonnet from Shakespeare and are
judged on their understanding of their
selected texts and on their ability to
communicate their interpretation to
the audience. Through this schoolbased program, students in grades
9-12 develop critical thinking and
speaking skills and increase their selfconfidence through the performance
of Shakespeare’s work.
“Shakespeare managed to compress
all the different aspects of humanity,
from the beautiful, to the downright
hideous, and compress it into words,”
Garcia said.
“From there, those plays and
sonnets can be performed, and
strangely enough, it’s on that stage
where actors boldly and openly lie
to the audience that truth is fully
and finally realized. He’s the human
poet.”
To qualify for the National
Shakespeare Competition finals,
Garcia won the regional ESU Phoenix
Branch Shakespeare Competition on
February 24.
“The fact that I made it this far is
amazing,” Garcia said. “I was very
quiet and introverted growing up.
It’s pretty amazing to look back and
see myself from where I was when I
started high school to here.”
The stage is where Garcia has

exceled in school and he’s hoping
that love will carry over into his
post-high school life. He aspires to
be a professional wrestler like WWE
Superstar Eddie Guerrero, who died in
2005 of heart failure in Minneapolis.
He was buried in Scottsdale.
“Being Hispanic, as I am, there
weren’t too many people to look up
to,” Garcia said. “He was a very big,
positive influence in my life growing
up. When he died, it was the first time
I ever thought about death.”
To him, wrestling is a way of
bringing comic books – and real-life
stories – to the public.
“Human stories are being played
out; heroes overcoming the odds,” he
said. “I looked up to the wrestlers and
thought I wanted to create the same
feeling they created for me.”
Upon graduation, Garcia will travel
to Calgary, Alberta, Canada, to learn
to wrestle at Lance Storm’s Storm
Wrestling Academy. Storm is a 20year veteran of the WWE, WCW and
ECW.
“He’ll be able to help me connect
with other places and different
companies, too,” Garcia said of
Storm.
Each year, more than 20,000
high school students participate
in the English in Action National
Shakespeare Competition at the
school, regional and national levels
through the help of more than 2,500
teachers and 55 ESU branches
nationwide.
Since 1983, the English-Speaking
Union has given more than 300,000
students of all backgrounds the
opportunity to bring the timeless
works of Shakespeare to life and
to learn to express his words with
understanding, feeling and clarity.
The competition has been recognized
by the Globe Center, the Children’s
Theatre Foundation of America
and the American Academy of
Achievement.
Jackson Dean from Palm Valley

Aspiring professional wrestler Noah Garcia, a student at Goodyear’s Trivium Preparatory
Academy, recently traveled to New York City to compete in the 35th annual National
Shakespeare Competition. (Photo courtesy National Shakespeare Competition)

High School in Rancho Mirage,
California, was the winner of the 35th
annual English in Action National
Shakespeare
Competition
and
received a full scholarship to attend
the Young Actor’s Summer School at
the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art

in London.
Everything about Shakespeare,
wrestling and the stage is exhilarating
to Garcia.
“The more people there are, the
more fun I’m able to have with it,”
Garcia said.

Natural Gas Safety
We’re working to keep you safe.

this includes:
• Routinely patrolling, testing, repairing, and replacing our pipelines.
• Continually meeting or exceeding all federal and state requirements and standards
for safe pipeline operation and maintenance.
• Regularly communicating and training with emergency responders.
Natural gas lines can be buried anywhere. Leaks can occur due to natural disasters, corrosion,
and careless or unsafe excavation. Natural gas leaks may lead to evacuations, service outages,
fire, property damage, injury, or loss of life.

Registration is open
for Buckeye Summer
Youth Programs
By West Valley View staff
Keep children active and engaged
this summer by enrolling them in one
of Buckeye’s Summer Youth Programs.
The city offers a variety of programs for
children from age 4 to eighth graders.
The Summer Recreation Program runs
for eight weeks from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m.,
May 29 through July 20 at two locations:
Jasinkski Elementary School, 4280 S.
246th Avenue; and Buckeye Elementary
School, 623 E. Monroe.
This program has a one-time fee of
$90 for Buckeye residents, and $100 for
nonresidents.
The licensed, full-day summer camp
runs from 6 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. May 21
through August 3 at Inca Elementary
School, 23601 W. Durango Street. There
is a one-time $25 registration fee, which

is waived when using the auto-pay option.
Rates are $25 per day, or $100 a week and
include breakfast and lunch. Multiplechild discounts are also available.
Preschool children can also get in on
the fun with a summer program just for
them. This program runs from 8 a.m. to
2 p.m. May 29 through July 20 at the
Dr. Saide Rec Center, 1003 E. Eason
Avenue. The weekly fee is $55 per child,
plus a one-time registration fee of $25
which is waived when using the auto-pay
option.
Register at buckeyeaz.gov or at the Dr.
Saide Rec Center.
To learn more about Buckeye’s
Summer Youth Programs, visit
buckeyeaz.gov, email recreation@
buckeyeaz.gov or call 623-349-6350.

Call to schedule your consultation with an
Attorney who listens & cares

623.518.3513

The Buckeye Public Library System’s Summer Reading Program will kick off with a free
pool party, as well as a screening of Mary Poppins and a discussion with a local film scholar.
(Photo courtesy city of Buckeye)

Summer reading program
coming to Buckeye
By West Valley View staff
Buckeye’s Public Library System’s
Summer Reading Program will soon
kick off with a free pool party from
noon to 2 p.m. Friday, May 25, at the
Aquatic Center.
The event will continue with a
special screening of Mary Poppins,
followed by a discussion with a local
film scholar, at 6 p.m. at the Coyote
Library.
The summer reading program will
run through August 1, offering over 40
free programs following the national
theme of “Libraries Rock.”
Other programs for both children and
adults are scheduled throughout the city
and include a musical performance by
Didgeridoo Down Under, vinyl clock

making, taiko drumming, magicians,
jugglers, folktale artists, STEAM Kit
exploration days and more.
Programs are held throughout the
city at such locations as the recreation
center, Tartesso Elementary School,
the Festival Community and both
library branches.
Participants can earn badges and
prizes by attending these programs
and logging their daily reading time at
maricopacountyreads.org from June 1
through August 1.
For more information on each
summer program, such as dates,
times and locations, visit buckeyeaz.
gov/library
or
facebook.com/
buckeyepubliclibrary.

Daughters of the American Revolution
is offering a $500 scholarship to college
sophomores, juniors and seniors who
graduated from a school in the Buckeye
Union High School District – Buckeye
Union, Estrella and Youngker high
schools – and attending a public Arizona
college or university. This is only open
to college students.

Applications are due June 1.
For more information contact Gina
Ragsdale, chairman, Daughters of
the American Revolution (DAR)
Scholarship Committee, at 623256-3430 or 709 E. Eason Avenue,
Buckeye 85326; or Jean Denman
at 602-309-1293 or darscholarbv@
hotmail.com.

Student Chronicles
Know a student who’s doing something remarkable? Tell us about it!
Email Christina Fuoco-Karasinski at christina@westvalleyview.com.
Anthony Davison of Goodyear
received the criminal justice award
as part of the Distinguished Scholar
program at the Fulton, Missouri,
school. He is a criminal justice
major. At the end of every academic
year, William Woods University
recognizes a select group of its
students with the Distinguished
Scholar award. Faculty members
designate one graduating senior from
each program for the honor. While
eligibility requires a minimum 3.4
grade point average, faculty also
consider other relevant academic
factors in the selection process.
“The Distinguished Scholar is
a very prestigious award here at
William Woods, identifying and
honoring the top student in each
discipline,” said Dr. Aimee Sapp,
vice president of academic affairs and
dean of the undergraduate college.
For the 2017-2018 academic

year, 21 seniors were recognized as
Distinguished Scholars.
Benjamin Richard Burchill of
Goodyear earned an MBA at the
University of Nebraska-Lincoln
commencement exercises on May
4 and May 5. He was among nearly
3,200 graduates. Academy Awardwinning
filmmaker
Alexander
Payne delivered the address at the
undergraduate commencement and
received an honorary Doctor of
Fine Arts from the university. The
graduates are from 60 countries, 46
states and the District of Columbia,
and 250 Nebraska communities.
Angel Van Hofwegen of Tolleson
graduated from Azusa Pacific
University in California with a
Bachelor of Arts degree, joining
1,702 graduates at the spring
commencement ceremonies.

By West Valley View staff
Palo Verde Elementary School
celebrated the completion of the AZ
Merit Test with “Wacky Wednesday,”
a day of waterslides, inflatable racing
slides, obstacle courses, basketball,
sidewalk chalk and a movie room.

“Wacky Wednesday” is an incentive
for children to perform well on the
test. Also, classes that have perfect
attendance, no tardies, positive attitudes,
excellent behavior and willingness to
work hard were given extra time.

The West Valley View now has a regular section, “Where kids eat free.” Restaurant owners, email details of your deals to editor@westvalleyview.
com. We list the days of the week kids can eat free at your establishment, and what conditions apply, such as purchase of an adult meal, certain
hours, etc. Include your restaurant name, address, phone and website and a contact name for verification. Readers, if you know of a location
that has a kids-eat-free program, email us with the restaurant name, a phone and/or email for confirmation and details.

Corte Sierra student builds her way to Legoland
By Christina Fuoco-Karasinski
Elsie Petross-Richardson sits prim
and proper at a cafeteria table in
the Legoland Discovery Center in
Arizona Mills. Her hands are on her
lap and her legs are crossed.
But when she speaks about her
new role as a member of Legoland
Discovery Center Arizona’s 2018
Creative Crew, little Elsie’s eyes light
up and she’s animated.
“I can’t wait to see the master
builder and learn all the other things
I can build,” said Elsie, 6. “We break
most of our sets at home, so we can
use the pieces to build other things.
We build dragons. We didn’t break
the queen dragon, though. You have
to keep the queen dragon.”
Elsie is one of 12 Creative Crew
members who built her way to the
well-regarded position.
The attraction inside Arizona Mills
held its annual day-long Creative
Crew build competition Saturday,
April 28. Kids between the ages of 6
and 10 created one-of-a-kind models
in front of a live audience.
Judges included Master Model
Builder Alec Posta, of Ahwatukee,
who secured his spot at Legoland
Discovery Center Arizona in 2015

through
a
similar
competition for adults.
He has since become a
familiar face around the
attraction and a mentor
for budding builders.
Elsie joins Madelyn
Longstreet, 9, Jonah
Trembulak, 8, and
Austin Nancarrow, 6,
all of Phoenix; Ruthie
Bain, 10, Surprise; Paul
Bunsed, 10, Tempe;
Mikey
Cozza,
10,
Chandler; sisters Anise
Carroll
Covarrubias,
10, and Lilly Carroll
Covarrubias, 6, Mesa;
Kyree Johnson, 8,
Gilbert; Barry Bales
III, 7, Scottsdale; and
Diesel Andersen, 8, San
Elsie Petross-Richardson builds at the Legoland Discovery Center in Arizona Mills. (West Valley View photos by
Tan Valley.
Kimberly Carrillo)
As members, the
Creative Crew kids
ambassadors for visitors, dishing
will get an inside look at the inner- out advice on everything from how
workings of the 60,000-square-foot to construct the fastest racecar to
interactive attraction, and they’ll how to knock out the competition
also assist Posta with everything on Kingdom Quest zapping beastly
from helping test new Lego models Trolls on the interactive ride.
for special events, to serving as
“The kids really brought it during

BROUGHT TO YOU BY:

Funeral Chapel

Saturday’s competition, and we
can’t wait to see what they bring to
the table in the days and months to
come,” said Joanna Hobday, general
manager, Legoland Discovery Center
Arizona. “This is one tremendously
talented group of kids.”
Elsie is no exception.
“I like Lego because you can
build and you don’t have to have
instructions,” Elsie said. “You can
build whatever you want, like a
dinosaur or something else.”
The student at Corte Sierra
Elementary School in Avondale
enjoys building houses for people.
She’s quick to add she enjoys school.
“Some people say, ‘Boo, school,’”
she said. “I like school.”
Her parents, Andy Richardson and
Kelly Petroff, are pleased with Elsie’s
accomplishments. In the first heat of
the Creative Crew competition, Elsie
built an eagle with a serpent in its
mouth, mimicking the Mexican flag.
“I was very proud when she did
the competition for the Creative

Elsie, 6, is one of 12 Creative Crew members.

Crew,” Petroff said. “She has a great
imagination. She breaks her sets
apart to build other things. I was very
proud of her build.
“The build was pretty ambitious. I
wanted to be really supportive, but in
the back of my head, I was thinking,
‘I never saw her build anything like
that before.’”
Her second creation was a unicorn.
“And she even spelled unicorn,”
Richardson said.

CLASSIFIEDS

WEST VALLEY VIEW NEWS | MAY 16, 2018

OBITUARIES
Apolonio Puga

Robert (Bob) Dale Kelly

It is with great sadness that
Apolonio "Paul" Puga, 78, passed away
Monday, April 30th, 2018, at his home
in Buckeye, AZ. His final days were
spent surrounded by family and
friends that he impacted throughout
his memorable life.
Paul was born in San Antonio, Texas
in 1939 and was a lifelong resident of
Buckeye. Paul retired in 2004 after 23
years of service at SavMart and 11
years at Ron's Market. He was a loving and devoted
family man, a great provider, and friend to many. Paul
enjoyed relaxing and spending time on the golf course,
playing poker, and being with his family.
Paul will be lovingly remembered by his wife of 58
years, Linda; his two daughters Diana Crossman and
Cynthia King of California; son, Roger Puga of Glendale;
God Daughter Norma Parra of Goodyear; eight
grandchildren and nine great grandchildren. He will also
be fondly remembered by his three sisters from Texas.
A memorial service and rosary will be held Friday, May
11th, 2018 from 5-7 pm at Ganley Funeral Home, and
Mass services will be held at 9 am, Saturday, May 12th,
2018 at Saint Henry's Catholic Church 245750 W. Lower
Buckeye Rd Buckeye. For more information please
contact Ganley Funeral Home at (623) 386-4812.

Robert (Bob) Dale Kelly, born on February 9, 1942 in Omaha, Nebraska, to
the late Isabelle Kelly Pease and the
late Edward John Kelly, passed away at
age 76 on April 30, 2018. He lived in
Avondale.
Robert was preceded in death by his
brothers, Thomas Kelly, James Kelly, and Richard Kelly;
and sister, Marjorie Hobbs. He is survived by his sons,
Vincent Kelly and Daniel Kelly; brothers, Gene Kelly,
Charles Kelly, and William Kelly; sister, Dorothy Kelly;
and caregiver/friend, Myrna Schwartz.
A celebration of life service was held May 12, 2018 at
Trinity Mennonite Church, 4334 W. Vista Avenue, Glendale.

Jack E. Fix
Jack E. Fix of Goodyear, passed away
peacefully on May 7, 2018 at the age
of 89. Jack was born in Oklahoma on
February 10, 1929.
He is survived by his wife of 54
years, Paula, and four children, Bob
(LeLana) Fix, Arizona City, Kathy Nace,
Jacksonville FL, Steve Fix, Denver CO, and Susan FixWallschlaeger (Bill), Litchfield Park. Jack has six grandchildren, Danielle, Paul, Nichole, Sean, Gerard and
Sarah. He is also survived by one Sister, Vivian Grisom,
Denver, CO. Jack lived a full life, serving in the United
States Navy on a military warship from 1948-1953.
After the Navy, Jack lived in Colorado where he was
employed by the Bureau of Reclamation and the US
Postal Service, retiring after 31 years. Retirement
brought Jack and Paula to Arizona in 1993. Jack had a
passion for golf, loved the outdoors and fishing and
was a talented artist. He touched the lives of many
and will be sorely missed.
Arrangements made by David’s Desert Chapel. In
lieu of flowers, please consider a charitable donation
to “The Wounded Warriors Project”
https://support.woundedwarriorproject.org

Robert Edwin Scherman
Robert Edwin Scherman, age 80, of
Goodyear, died May 5, 2018 in Goodyear. He was born October 25, 1937 in
Modesto, CA to John and Edith Scherman. He served in the US Navy from
Oct. 3, 1956 to Oct. 2, 1962 as an officer
and a pilot. Upon completion of his military service Robert was employed as a captain for
United Airlines for 30 years.
Robert is survived by his daughters, Linda Scherman
and Loretta Scherman; sons, Mark Scherman and James
Scherman; brother, John Scherman; two grandchildren,
and two great-grandchildren. He was preceded in death
by his wife of 55 years, Rita Scherman.
A funeral mass will be held at 10:30 am on Wednesday,
May 16, 2018 at St. Thomas Aquinas Catholic Church,
13720 W. Thomas Rd, Avondale, AZ 85392. Burial will
follow at 2:00 pm at the National Memorial Cemetery
of Arizona, 23029 N Cave Creek Rd, Phoenix, AZ 85024.
Condolences for the family may be left at
www.thompsonfuneralchapel.com.

• Locally Owned & Operated
• Offering World Class Service With Quality & Sensitivity
• Full Concierge Service To All Families
• We Accept All Neptune Policies
• We Honor The Catholic Final Expense Funeral Program

“LIFE

ONLY

DEMANDS

email@thompsonfuneralchapel.com

926 S. Litchfield Road, Goodyear, AZ

•

FROM YOU

STRENGTH

- DAG HAMMARKJÖLD

YOU

POSSESS.”

www.thompsonfuneralchapel.com

33

Judith K. (Carroll) Cuttell
Judith K. (Carroll) Cuttell was
born to Ralph and Leona Carroll,
August 19, 1939 at Lincoln,
Nebraska. She passed away quietly
May 8, 2018, Goodyear.
Survivors include, husband, Dee E.
Cuttell; three children, Gregory D.
(Madeira, Ohio), Anne R. Morel
(Blue Springs, Missouri), and
Douglas G. Cuttell (West Lafayette,
IN); seven grandchildren; and two
great grandchildren.
Inurnment with take place at Arlington National
Cemetery, Washington, D. C. at a later time. Memorials
may be sent to The Purdue Cancer Research Center (for
pancreatic cancer study) in her name. Condolences for
the
family
may
be
left
at
www.thompsonfuneralchapel.com.

Mary Lou Reichert (Beck)
Mary Lou (Beck) Reichert, age 57,
passed away peacefully in her sleep on
Monday, May 7th, 2018, at her home in
Goodyear after a two-year battle with
uterine cancer. She was born on
December 25th, 1960, in Milwaukee
WI, to Oliver H. and Evelyn E. (Rader)
Beck.
Mary is survived by her husband Corey; mother Evelyn;
sisters JoyceWhite, Darlene and Connie Beck; brothers
James, Daniel, Harry, and David Beck; nieces Danielle
White, Evelyn (White) Griffin, Christina and Erin Beck;
nephews Lucas Beck and Harold Beck, Jr.
A memorial service at REGENCY MORTUARY, 9850
W. Thunderbird Rd, Sun City, from 2 to 3 pm on
Thursday, May 24th, 2018. To honor Mary and her love
of the nursing profession, the family requests attendees
who are nurses to wear an appropriate uniform; otherwise, business casual attire is fine. No cards, flowers, or
gifts, please.

Obituaries - Death Notices in Memoriam
We are here to make this difficult time easier for you.
Our 24 hour online service is easy to use and will
walk you through the steps of placing a paid obituary
in the West Valley View or a free death notice.

Roosevelt Irrigation District
is now hiring for the position of Zanjero. Requirements – Clean driving record. Must live in Buckeye/
Goodyear area and pass
physical and drug testing.
Please apply in person at
103 W Baseline Rd. Buckeye
AZ 85326. For more information and application visit
our website at
www.rooseveltirrigation.org
NO PHONE CALLS

CAREGIVERS
AIRES is looking for caring, capable
and compassionate people! Our
mission is to help people live happy,
healthy & fulfilling lives.

Hiring Caregivers for In Home
Care dept (HCBS) &
Group Homes in the West Valley
**No Exp necessary! Paid training.
Must be 21+yrs w/ good driving
record & reliable transportation.
Apply at www.aires.org or visit us at
2140 W. Greenway Rd, Ste 140, Phoenix.

GARAGE SALES/
BAZAARS
Church Thrift Shop Open
Thurs, May 17, 8:30-12:30
300 N. Old Litchfield Road,
(Across from Wigwam Spa).
Clothes, Jewelry, Books,
Kitchen Items, and More.
The Thrift Shop Will Also Be
Open For Donations,
Sat, May 19, 8:30-12:30.

EVENTS
GUNS GUNS GUNS

Comm-Wide
Garage Sale Event

Glendale American Legion
Gun Show
Guns, knives, ammo and
much more May 19th and
20th 6821 N. 58th Ave.
Doors Open 9 am, $2 off
with ad. Info (928) 310-8544

For sale: Antiques,
Lamp, bases, cook
books, flower pots, 4
new chairs, dresser &
picture frames.
623-337-5265
LAND FOR SALE
WENDEN Family LiquidationLast 160 acres, $148,500.
Offers accepted. Owner will
carry for 3 years at a low 8%
interest. 1-888-444-1220
1.6 ACRES IMPROVED
WITH SEPTIC TANK, ELECTRIC PEDESTAL, COMMUNITY WATER AT LOT
LINE. TWO LARGE SLABS
FOR HOME AND A SLAB
FOR A GARAGE.
NO HOA $36,500

29715 W. Roosevelt St.
Buckeye, 85396 5+ Acres.
Roosevelt and Sun Valley
Parkway. Prime building land
in a growing location. Well
and Septic and electric on
the property. Horse Corrals
in place as well. Cash Only.
Call Mike at 480-316-8227

West Valley View
and West Valley View
Business publish legal
ads every Wednesday in print and online.
Deadline for legal
ads is Thursday at
5pm for the following Wednesday. Be
aware there may be
early deadlines
around holidays.
Questions regarding legal ads please
call Elaine at 480-8987926.
To submit a legal ad
please email it to:
legals@
westvalleyview.com

If you have

TOO MUCH BUSINESS
don’t call us

But if you’re looking for more business,
call the West Valley View at

623-535-8439

to schedule an ad in this section and

BRING IN MORE

BUSINESS!
Place your ad in the
Business & Service Directory
for as low as $45/week!